The Fear Within
by Regulus
Summary: Book 1, R2. The son of Harry Potter and Nymphadora Tonks finally reaches the age when he can go to Hogwarts. But between his own weak ability to use magic and the threat of something lurking in the shadows, will he make it through his first year alive?
1. Reputation

He smiled faintly as the train began to move, a knot still working around inside his stomach. His parents, waving, stayed on the platform until they could no longer see one another. The scenery went by at a relaxed clip. He tried to focus more on it than his own visible reflection in the window. Eventually, however, he got bored with the green countrysides and creepy forests that the train was passing through. Using the reflection in the window as best he could, he tried to flatten his hair down a bit. He knew it was of no real use, but it gave him something to do, anyway. At least he had inherited his mother's hair color, if not its style. The looks he had gotten all through his life were bad enough without looking like a perfect little clone of his father.

Sighing, he gave up and just leaned back in his seat. Where the hell were his friends, anyway? Hadn't they promised that they were going to meet up with him on the train? Green eyes closing, he leaned over against the compartment wall and tried to let the steady rumble lull him off to sleep. Instead, it merely had the effect of inducing a mild sense of nausea in him. Making a face, he pushed away from the wall and returned to watching the scenery. He tried not to think back to the scene that they had made at King's Cross once they moved through the barrier to the platform. He wasn't doing a very good job of it.

He just didn't get why people found _him _so interesting. His father had been the great wizard, after all. Maybe people were just expecting him to be exactly like his father had been, he didn't know. He wished they would stop it, though. He hated all those eyes looking his way. He absolutely hated being the center of attention. He didn't feel tremendously gifted as a wizard, anyway. His magical aptitude tests had come back with results that proved he was right in feeling that way, as well. His father had merely scoffed at the results, saying that things change; that he knew _nothing _of magic before entering Hogwarts, and look how he turned out.

Naturally, even in primary school, people would point and whisper when he'd pass by. The son of the great Harry Potter, they called him. The son of the Boy Who Lived. The son of the man who had taken down the dark wizard Voldemort and stopped his growing undead legion from marching on Britain. His mother had comforted him, saying that she was perfectly happy with how he had turned out. That it was a blessing in disguise if he was never capable of tapping into the immense power his father had been capable of. She had said that Harry had been forced to grow up far too fast and that she didn't want him to do the same.

He knew his father didn't much like the attention, either. But it wasn't HIS fault. From all of the stories, it seemed he just did what needed to be done. His father had long since told him to just ignore the stares of the people around him - it's what he had learned to do since around his second year at Hogwarts. But it was one thing to say and another to do. He had been getting more and more anxious as the day of departure had drawn closer. Eventually, his parents had sat him down to talk with him.

"Why are you nervous?" His mother had asked.

He had replied that he knew what it would be like. That it would probably be even worse than primary school, simply because it was a bigger group of kids. Plus most of the professors from his father's days were still teaching their classes. Some had retired to pursue other, less stressful hobbies. The former headmaster had been one of these people. Albus Dumbledore, from all his father had said, now lived in a nondescript little village in northern Ireland. The deputy headmistress had stepped up to assume command of the school. And, due to various other reasons, the positions had been shifted around. But the same core group of professors still remained.

He didn't want to be compared to his father. Or his mother, he had added, not wanting to hurt her feelings. But his mother had simply laughed, saying she knew she hadn't been all that great as far as schooling went. No one, she had claimed, would ever proclaim Nymphadora Tonks to be a mental giant. This, however, had ended up causing a twenty-minute long tangent in their conversation, as his father had tried to scold his mother for putting down her own abilities.

Once it had become clear that his mother would emerge victorious from the argument, his father had cleared his throat and had returned to the subject at hand.

"You've endured this long. It gets easier with time. Trust me, alright? I know it might be rough going at the start. And there might be times when people will naturally look to you to solve their problems. It's just part of inheriting the name. I wish it didn't have to be like this for you, kiddo, I really do. But you've proven you're made of tougher stuff than you think."

"But... I'm not like you two were. I can't do anything..." He had argued.

"You don't know that yet." His mother had said, coming to sit next to him. "Besides, you don't need magic to prove your worth. You showed everyone that when you put down that idiot who was picking on Viola, right?"

Blushing, he had ducked his head and muttered, "All I did was shove him away..."

"You shoved him away, glared at him like you were fully capable of gibbing him where he stood, and made sure Viola was alright." His father had corrected. "You may've gotten Nym's looks for the most part, but you've got my eyes. There's a lot of fire in them when it comes down to it, Vega. You'll do fine."

Naturally, Vega had tried to argue. But it was fruitless. He had been outnumbered and outclassed. And now here he was, sitting on the Hogwarts Express, a knot still in his stomach. He knew what the Sorting was like. He knew the eyes of the entire school would be on him that night. With a weak sigh, he mumbled, "What'd I do to deserve this?"

Receiving no response, he slumped back against the wall, his gaze returning to the passing scenery. Eventually, his eyes unfocused and he fell into a sort of daze, one that only ended when he heard his compartment door open. Turning his head, his eyes lit up. "Where've you two been?!"

A girl with short, black hair was the first to step into the compartment. Flopping down unceremoniously next to him, she then turned to glare daggers at him. "Searching every room in the place, that's where!"

Once she had moved in, a boy with long, equally black hair stepped in, closing the door behind him. As he sat, his pale eyes focused on Vega as well. "You never told us where you were going to be."

"I... panicked." Vega admitted, lowering his head. "People kept asking me questions after I got on. They kept stopping me and looking to my forehead. I guess they thought scars were passed down or something..."

"Idiots." Scoffed the girl. Light grey eyes narrowing, she turned her glare on the door. "If I had known they were picking on you, I would've slugged them until they gave me _correct _directions here..."

"Do you really want to get into trouble before the school year even begins?" Asked the boy, sounding bored out of his skull. "We've found him, so let's relax."

"What's this 'we' stuff? Yooooou just followed behind me!" Accused the girl, giving the boy the evil eye. After a moment, her expression lightened as she looked back to Vega. "So what've you been upto while we were on our great hunt?"

"Nothing much." Admitted Vega. "Wishing I had something to do or someone to talk to, mostly. Dreading having everyone at the school looking at me tonight. The usual. What if I don't get into the same House as you guys? I don't want to be off on my own..."

"So just ask the Sorting Hat to place you wherever we end up." Said the boy. "Judging from what our father said, it doesn't seem that difficult to end up wherever you want."

"I guess. I'm just nervous." Vega sighed.

"When aren't you?" Asked the girl, putting an arm around the smaller boy and smirking. "C'mon, Vega, relax! We won't let anyone pick on you. Right, Hyde?"

"Same routine, different place." Confirmed the boy. "Vivi and I won't let you give in to your anxiety, Potter."

"Thanks." Vega said, squeaking a moment later as the girl tried to muss his already messy hair up. Swatting her hand away, he scooted as close to the wall as he could. "Stoppit!"

"See? Already gotcha distracted!" Said the girl, smirking victoriously. "Your muscles'll have no chance of being tense by the time we reach Hogwarts at this rate!"

Rolling his eyes, Vega smiled nonetheless as he resumed watching the landscapes roll by out the window. He had been friends with Viola and Hydrus Malfoy since as far back as he could recall. His parents had been long friends with theirs, apparently, going back to some point when they were all still in Hogwarts. They had been in the same classes all throughout primary. And while his parents had certainly been right about the single time he had protected Viola, that wasn't how things usually went.

Vega hated confrontations. He was a thinker, not a fighter, and tried to use words to get out of arguments and fights before they got heated. Normally, it was the Malfoy twins who were keeping HIM from being tormented by bullies. And anyway, the incident in question had been very early on, when they were all still little. After Vega started developing a reputation from that one fight, others had tried to take him on. He refused to fight back. This resulted in many injuries and a lot of general bullying. When Viola and Hydrus took it upon themselves to start watching over him, however, that had changed. Viola was always upbeat and full of energy, and tended to wear down her opponents through sheer exhaustion. No matter how much fighting spirit her opponents had, she always had more. Hydrus, on the other hand, was more laid back. He found his sister's unending supply of energy bothersome at times, though he would never admit it.

If Viola couldn't end a fight for some reason, Hydrus would. After breaking one bully's nose, no one wanted to come up against him. His laid-back aura would vanish in an instance if Vega or his sister were in any danger. He had made this widespread knowledge. From that point forward, the three hadn't really run into too much trouble. And while Vega felt embarrassed about needing to be protected, he certainly wasn't going to complain. Finding friends that close was rare. He wasn't going to do anything to endanger it.

Closing his eyes, Vega no longer felt the nausea he had earlier. Maybe it had something to do with the sound of Viola and Hydrus talking quietly. He smiled slightly. That had to be it, he figured. With a yawn, he tried to force his muscles to relax. And, thankfully, they seemed to acquiesce to his wishes. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

Some time later, Vega found himself being gently shaken awake by Viola. He started to move and ask her what she wanted, but his sore neck made him pause and suck in a sharp breath. "Oww!"

"You alright?" Viola asked, blinking.

"No, but I'll live. What's up?" Asked Vega, hands working at the sides of his neck gingerly.

"We're at Hogwarts!" Viola said, sounding excited.

"Hogsmeade." Corrected Hydrus, who was leaning against the compartment door.

"Close enough!" Viola said, glaring at her twin. "C'mon, Vega. Hagrid should be waiting for us out there."

"Fantastic." Muttered Vega, getting to his feet and following the Malfoy twins from their compartment. Vega had heard tales from his parents about the half-giant groundskeeper of Hogwarts. And though his father's view on the man had eased up over time, there was always a hint of bitterness in it somewhere. "How long was I out?"

"Pretty much the entire trip." Viola said. "We were thinking of waking you up when the witch with the snacks came by, but thought the better of it. We know you've been sleeping poorly..."

Scowling, Vega mumbled, "My mum's talking about my insomnia with yours?"

"You know how they are." Hydrus said. "We know your problems, you know ours."

"Yeah, well... thanks, I guess." Vega said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Hungry as all heck now, though..."

"We'll be eating soon enough." Viola said. "I'm more anxious about the Sorting. Where d'ya think we'll end up?"

"Someone has to keep Slytherin in line like father did." Hydrus said. "I'd be perfectly happy being Sorted there."

"Yeah, but Vega doesn't seem the type, does he?" Viola asked. "No offense, of course."

"None taken." Replied Vega, dryly. "I dunno. I'll probably end up in Hufflepuff. I'm not the type to go barreling into fights, so Gryffindor's probably out. I'm not smart like my parents, so I doubt I'll be in Ravenclaw. And I'm not sneaky like _you _two are."

"Oi." Hydrus said, glancing back over his shoulder.

"I'll take that as a compliment. And if you aren't sneaky, no one is. I remember you managing to score us all kinds of treats from your kitchen when it was all supposed to be forbidden. Remember that?" Viola asked.

"I remember them not being treats." Vega said, making a face. "Wish dad had gotten rid of those joke shop things sooner. I still refuse to eat treacle tarts. I fail to see how that counts."

"You got downstairs, snuck by all of our parents, nicked the food, and got back up to us without being seen!" Viola exclaimed. "C'mon, that's totally sneaky!"

"I have a feeling our parents knew we would make a reach for them." Hydrus stated. "Probably let him think he got away without being seen just so we could provide their evening's entertainment."

"Siding with Hyde." Vega said.

"Neither of you are fun at all. Well... wherever we end up, you've gotta try wrangling the Sorting Hat into putting you there, too." Viola said. "School wouldn't be as fun if we got split up, after all."

As they made their way out of the Hogwarts Express, they could both see and hear a rather large man calling for the new students to make their way over to him. That was, without a doubt, Rubeus Hagrid, and Vega felt his father had been lying about just how gigantic the man really was. Vega was already rather on the small size. He was quite sure that Hagrid would be capable of picking him up and lobbing him halfway to the school.

"At least the weather's nice." Viola said. "No crossing the lake in a storm for us. Think the giant squid's going to come up?"

"I think I'd prefer taking a carriage." Hydrus said, sounding slightly put-off. He had never liked boats or being out on lakes. This stemmed from a swimming accident when he and Viola had been around six, as he recalled. Viola had been a better swimmer than him and had gone out further than he had hoped she would. She had also tried helping him get better, to no avail. Unfortunately, she had managed to tread water right over the home of a grindylow who had tried to drown her. Hydrus had to struggle out to her and managed to successfully keep his sister's head above water until their parents could get to them, but it had affected him, nonetheless. It was around that time he had switched from taking baths to showering.

They managed to slip by Hagrid without much notice, which was fine with Vega. He didn't like talking to people he was unfamiliar with. Especially old acquaintances of his father. Too many stories of heroism, usually embellished. The half-giant led the first years from Hogsmeade and toward the lake, where a series of boats awaited.

"Hop in an' we'll be off before ya know it!" Said Hagrid, smiling and making sure that no one fell into the water.

Vega got into a boat alongside his friends, leaning forward on his knees and glancing around. From what he could see in the dark, the lake was pretty big. He certainly couldn't see where it ended. The school itself was impossible to miss, however. Light was spilling through the innumerous windows of Hogwarts, which seemed almost unrealistically large to Vega. Next to him, Viola was trying to comfort Hydrus, who looked entirely nonplussed to be stuck on a boat. Vega could count the number of times he had seen Hydrus ruffled on one hand. He always acted like the strong one, whereas his sister was the energetic one. Vega was stuck being the designated 'quiet one' of their group. It was a fact many people his parents knew had pointed out.

When the boats began to move of their own accord, Vega grabbed hold of the side around the same time that Hydrus did. All around him, in their boat and the others, kids were chattering excitedly about the school and what the Sorting might be like, who their professors would be, and what the headmistress was really like. Vega knew her by way of his parents, of course. She didn't stop by that often, but she seemed a friendly enough sort. He could easily see her commanding a large number of students, though. There was something authoritative about her. The former headmaster was, according to his father, 'around, here and there' in regards to Hogwarts. What that meant was anyone's guess. His father certainly wasn't telling him.

As they traversed the lake, Hagrid talked about the school, what they could expect, and hinted that if they were interested in seeing some truly amazing things, they should look into his class. The last thing Vega was sure he wanted was some horrible creature biting his hand off. He made a mental note to pass on Care of Magical Creatures if it was at all possible.

When they finally arrived, Hagrid shakily got off his boat and began to offload the students. Hydrus quickly regained his composure once he was back on dry land, and helped Viola and Vega out. Vega had to admit, it was good being off the water again. He just wanted the Sorting to be over with so he could start worrying about more important things. Like how he was going to get by with his poor grasp of magic. His wand was in his back pocket, a bad habit he had picked up from his father. His mother was constantly warning him over putting it there, proclaiming that she knew a few wizards who had lost their buttocks that way.

Hands stuffed back into his pockets, Vega followed Hagrid and the others up a long flight of stairs that ended in a door. Hagrid smiled at them as he opened it, motioning for them to enter, which they quickly did. The inside of the school was far warmer than it was outside, and seemed to have a soothing effect on Vega. It still felt like he had butterflies in his stomach, but the feeling was lessened. He felt a hand on his back and glanced aside to see Viola smiling at him. He offered a weak smile of his own in return and looked away to take in the Entrance Hall. The double doors leading in and out of the school properly had a quartet of gigantic hourglasses straddling them, two on either side. Presently, they were all empty.

Hagrid shut the door after the last student entered and told them all to wait while he went and got the headmistress, who still liked to meet the first years and lead them into the Great Hall. As soon as Hagrid had left, more chatter broke out among the first years. Blowing out a sigh, Vega turned to his friends.

"So... we goin' for Slytherin, or what?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

"I will be." Hydrus said. "So I suppose all of us will be, yes."

"I follow Hydrus, Vega follows me. Hopefully the Sorting Hat'll be nice to us." Viola said. Hydrus picked up on a very faint waver to her voice. Though she'd never say so, he knew she was feeling nervous and was trying to hide it. To her credit, she was doing a very good job of it.

"Not looking forward to this." Vega muttered. "Once they call my name, everyone's gonna stare at me."

"Everyone's going to get stared at during the Sorting." Hydrus said.

"You know what I mean." Said Vega, hunching down slightly. "Whatever House I get into's going to be intolerable for awhile. Ravenclaw'll probably be expecting me there, since mum and dad were both in it..."

"Forget about what everyone else wants!" Viola said, patting Vega's back. "This is all you, ya know. Just tell the Hat where you wanna go and things'll work out for themselves."

"How do you know?" Vega asked.

"Woman's intuition." Viola proclaimed, smiling sweetly.

After what seemed like an incredibly long time, the doors to the Great Hall opened for a moment and a tall, thin witch stepped through them. She was quite old and had a rather stern look on her face. Her hair was done up in a neat bun and she was wearing dark red robes with golden trim. Vega cocked his head as Headmistress McGonagall approached them. He was used to seeing her in more casual attire. It was odd seeing her looking so... business-like.

After surveying the first years, her eyes lingering on a few longer than others, McGonagall smiled slightly. "Welcome to Hogwarts, all of you. Everything is set up and waiting for you in the Great Hall. You'll follow me in and stay near the side wall until your name is called. You'll then walk up to the stool that's at the front of the room and place the Sorting Hat on your head. It will place you into one of the four Houses of the school, where you will spend most of your time when not in classes."

As McGonagall explained a bit more of the Houses and which table belonged to what House, Vega let his eyes dart around. Some of the other children seemed as bored as he was about all of this. He had long since heard all of this. He figured it was mostly for the Muggleborn students. It was pretty easy to pick those out. They had the widest eyes and were giving the headmistress the utmost amount of attention.

McGonagall turned after finishing up, and the first years followed behind her into the next room. Vega took a deep breath as he entered the Great Hall, glancing up only briefly at its enchanted ceiling before his attention was ripped away by the hundreds of eyes that were following the group. Somewhere deep inside him, the urge to turn and bolt out of the room fired up. He knew he couldn't, though, as Viola and Hydrus were directly behind him. Viola seemed to sense his panic rising, as she once more put her hand on his back. Though it only helped a little, Vega was still thankful for it. It let him focus just enough to pay attention to what was going on around him.

Once they were all inside, the doors to the room closed on their own, and the headmistress produced a list from somewhere within her robes. Glancing down at it through her glasses, she began to read off names. And, one by one, students from the line of first years nervously went in front of the whole school and got Sorted. The first went to Gryffindor, the next to Hufflepuff. Vega's hands clenched inside his pockets. What if Hydrus and Viola wound up in different Houses? What if he couldn't manage to get into either of them? Then what would happen? He wasn't sure he would be able to quell the panic if that were to occur.

A few of the students, Vega noted, sat on the stool for some time before the Hat called out one of the Houses. A 'Calimar, Bruno' was up for nearly two minutes. The Hat actually let out a sigh before shouting, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Must've been flip-flopping on where to go..." Viola whispered.

"Eskander, Lapis!"

A boy with tan skin, somewhat nervously biting his lower lip, walked up to the stool and put the Hat on. And, for awhile, the Hat sat idle. Then, a barking laugh breaking the silence, the Hat called out, "RAVENCLAW!"

The boy looked somewhat irritated as he took the Hat off and went to the applauding Ravenclaw table, sitting next to one of the other new students. His eyes closed for a moment and he slumped slightly, as though glad the experience hadn't gone on longer than it had. A few seconds later and the boy was scanning the students still lined up. Briefly, he and Vega locked eyes. A look of faint curiosity crossed Lapis Eskander's face, but it was quickly masked and he looked back up toward the Sorting Hat.

It didn't really surprise Vega that someone he didn't know seemed to know him. Came with the name, he figured. Bringing a hand up, he rubbed at the bridge of his nose. McGonagall kept shouting names and students kept walking up to be Sorted.

"Malfoy, Hydrus!" McGongall called out suddenly. Vega's attention snapped back to what was going on just as Hydrus passed by him. A quiet murmur had started at more than one table. Several of the staff also looked particularly interested in Hydrus. For his part, Hydrus ignored all of them and picked the Sorting Hat up, sitting down as he placed it over his head. Vega felt something grip his sleeve and knew it was Viola, who was letting her own nervousness finally get the better of her.

After a scant few seconds, a tear in the front of the Hat opened and it cried out, "SLYTHERIN!"

An immediate cheer rose from the Slytherin table as Hydrus took off the Hat and set it back on the stool, turning and heading for the green-clad Slytherins. He looked back toward his sister and Vega and nodded at them before taking an empty seat toward the back of the table.

"Malfoy, Viola!"

"Good luck." Vega whispered quickly as Viola brushed past him.

And just like her brother, Viola hadn't worn the Hat but for a few seconds before it placed her in the same House as Hydrus. The desire to be kept together was probably too strong to deny. Viola quickly rushed over to the Slytherin table to sit near her twin, looking relieved and worried at the same time. She looked up at Vega, biting at her lower lip.

Vega would have to wait a little while longer. Four more students were in front of him on the list. The first and third went to Hufflepuff, the second to Ravenclaw, and the fourth to Gryffindor. And then it was time. The moment he had been dreading for months. He sucked in a quick, quiet breath as McGonagall's mouth opened once more.

"Potter, Vega!"

Instead of the hushed murmuring that had followed the Malfoy twins' names being called, there was absolute silence in the Great Hall at his own name being spoken. The breath he had sucked in was slowly pushed back out as he focused on the Sorting Hat. He took it and quickly placed it over his head as he hopped onto the stool.

'_There_,' he thought, trying to control any shaking that was occuring. '_That... wasn't too bad_...'

"You're a terrible liar." Came a voice from just near his left ear. "You're scared out of your mind, even now..."

It wasn't entirely a lie. But the fright still stemmed from the fact that the room was so deathly quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The Hat speaking to him was nothing to get scared by. His father had prepared him for that part. There was only one thing left and that was to see if he could force the Hat's hand, so to speak.

'_So... where do you WANT to put me_?' Vega thought.

"Where do you _think _I should put you?" Asked the Sorting Hat.

'_Think or want_?' Replied Vega.

"Your father was deathly afraid of being sorted into Slytherin, you know. It was all he kept repeating for the longest time - 'not Slytherin, not Slytherin.' Too scared of the old taboo, you know. Looks like you don't have that problem..."

'_Hyde and Vivi went there. I want to be with them_.' Vega thought.

"Knew their parents, too. Strong-willed as their parents, as well. You, on the other hand... seem to be worried about your own magical talent. You think you're nothing special. You think you'll never amount to the types of things your father did. Probably true, that. Unless another dark wizard rises up in your time here. Maybe Voldemort will break out of the Void again and you'll have to face him. What would you think about that, hmm? If you were the only one who could stop someone like him?"

'_I... I don't_...'

"You want to. Deep down, locked away, in a place you don't let yourself into, you want to be as great a wizard as your father was. You want to push and claw your way to the top. You want to show everyone that you aren't your father. It would appear you Potters are a troublesome lot to Sort. Your father would've done well in any of the four Houses. You believe yourself doomed to Hufflepuff just because your magical talent hasn't been properly developed yet. But you're also determined to make something of yourself no matter what. You're the type who'd sit and read for hours just to escape being around anyone else. Yet you're also the type to defend your friends to the very end, should it come to it. So where should I drop you?" Purred the Hat, quietly.

'_Just... let me be with them_...' Vega thought, eyes closing. '_I have to be with them. Or... or else I_...'

"Hm...? At such a young age, you...?" Started the Hat, chuckling to itself. "Is that what's driving you, Potter? Or perhaps I'm misreading you. You'll cause an uproar, you know. It'll only saddle you with more rumors than your father had. Is that what you want?"

'_I don't care what happens to me so long as I can be with Hyde and Vivi_!' Vega yelled, mentally.

"So be it, then. Perhaps I did misread you. You're trying hard not to let me see. But that doesn't mean much to something as old as I. You can't hide anywhere. Even in the dungeons. And yet... that is where you'll be staying. All the way down in **_SLYTHERIN_**!"

The Sorting Hat roared the last word and the Great Hall erupted into noise. The Slytherins were practically having a fit over the luck of it all, while the Ravenclaws were looking shocked more than anything. The other two tables were stuck in-between those two states, watching Vega as he took the Hat off, glared at it, and set it unceremoniously back on the stool before going to sit next to Viola, who hugged him as fiercely as she could.

"We did it! All together!" Viola cried, happily. "You were up there a _long _time. What'd the Hat say to you?"

"Too much." Vega scowled, leaning against the table and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Bloody thing's too nosy."

"Don't think about it too much. That's what it does. Wants to bring out your true colors. Can't imagine what you thought to it to get you here with us, though. You had us worried." Hydrus said, offering Vega the ghost of a smile.

After the last handful of students had been Sorted, McGonagall took her spot at the staff table and began to fill the new arrivals on the school's rules and where not to go, but Vega couldn't focus on it. He had an irritating headache that he knew wouldn't go away until he got somewhere quieter. And he had the distinct impression that the other boys in his dorm weren't going to let him just slip off to bed peacefully. At least Hydrus would be there. He might help keep the others in line.

When the food and drink popped up onto the table, Vega picked out a few things he liked and munched away slowly. His hunger had almost completely dissipated due to the stress that had and was going to be happening. He knew he had to eat _something_, or he'd be up all night. But he just couldn't muster an appetite. Viola and Hydrus weren't exactly piling their plates up high, either. At one point, Vega met Hydrus' eyes and both shot a look toward Viola. They could rely on each other to ward off any irritating questions. Viola, on the other hand, would be on her own.

"So... kids of the famous heroes, huh? Must've had a pretty good life up 'til now." Said someone just across the table from Vega. Glancing up from his plate, Vega stared into the eyes of a lanky blond who looked to be at least two or three years older than he was. The older boy was smirking at the three of them, awaiting a response.

"You'd be surprised." Hydrus replied, keeping his tone polite. "Our parents have tried keeping us... what's the term you'd use?"

"In line." Viola offered.

"Yes, in line." Hydrus said, nodding. "Father believes the type of insipid beliefs that hounded this House in his time should also be kept in line. Who better to follow his lead than his own family?"

"Insipid beliefs?" Echoed the older boy.

"That purebloods are superior. That some dark wizard with promises of glory would lead them to the dawn of a new age." Hydrus explained, raising his gaze to meet the other boy's. "That everyone in this House was destined to some kind of evil purpose."

"Load o' rubbish, that. He and your mother went on to be war heroes." The boy said. "Proved that was a lie, didn't he?"

"He also proved that he was right about most of Slytherin. There weren't many left in school on his final year here." Viola said. "Buncha cowards and parasites ran off with their mummies and daddies so Voldemort's followers wouldn't hunt them down. Traitors to both sides. The worst kind of people."

"What about you, Potter?" The boy said, his attention switching from the Malfoy twins to Vega.

"What _about _me?" Vega asked, his voice gruffer than he meant it to be.

"What's your story? Your dad's the one who did it, yeah? So?"

"So _what_?" Vega asked again. He was tired, he felt like hell, and his headache wasn't being helped out by the curious idiot across from him. "Dad ripped Voldemort's skin off, trapped him in it, and sealed him back in the Void. He and mum settled down and had me. Eleven years later and here I am. What's to talk about?"

"Snarky little brat, aren't ya?" Said the boy, sneering at Vega.

"Only to people who don't know when to be quiet." Vega muttered darkly.

"What was that?" Growled the boy.

"What about you?" Hydrus asked, drawing the boy's attention and casting an odd look Vega's way. "Who are you, anyway? You know who we are, but the same can't be said for you."

"Ah, yes. Manners and whatnot. Name's Finlay Kimble. Call me Fin." Said the boy.

"And?" Viola chimed in.

"And what?" Asked Finlay.

"What about you?" Hydrus asked.

Finlay cast a withering glance at the two, catching on to what they were doing. "Very funny. What's your friend's problem, anyway? All the talk I heard was that he wasn't so... mouthy."

"Imagine yourself in his position." Hydrus said. "Knowing that everyone would ask the kinds of things you're asking. Constantly. Combine it with typical first year nervousness. The two of us aren't doing much better, I'd imagine."

"Think we could all do with a good night's rest." Viola said.

And, almost as if on cue, McGongall once more rose just as the food vanished from the tables. She had the prefects stand to make themselves known to the first years, and told everyone to follow them back to their House's common room, which would be password protected to keep those from other Houses out. Vega glanced down the table and saw a pair of older girls standing near the far end. McGonagall spoke awhile longer before dismissing the students. The prefects began rounding everyone up and leading them off.

"You alright?" Asked Viola, her voice low.

"Headache aside, I guess." Vega said, eyes on the floor.

"You sure?"

"Not really. Ask me again tomorrow."

Viola smiled. "Things'll get easier."

"Yeah. Question is 'how fast?' - that's what I wanna know." Vega muttered.

"Fast enough." Hydrus stated. "With any luck we can help deflect any stupid questions. I don't feel up to dealing with curious fans any more than you."

"You deal with them better than me, though." Vega said.

"Mum and dad told us what to expect." Viola said. "And how to deal with it."

"Dad tried that with me. Fat lot o' good it did to help." Vega grumbled. "Imagine what they'll say when they see me failing subjects."

"Your dad wasn't good when he first arrived, either." Viola argued.

"Dad didn't _know _about magic until he was my age." Countered Vega, scowling. "He had an excuse. I've grown up around the stuff and still suck at it."

"Which is why we're here. To get the hang of it." Hydrus said. "Tell me you two have been watching the path we've followed to get here. I don't want to have to guide you to and from the dungeons every day, you know."

"We were watching!" Viola said, sticking her tongue out.

"Potter?"

"Got the basic route memorized. Looking up isn't gonna make a difference at this point." Vega said, waving a dismissive hand. "...Is it supposed to be this _cold _down here?"

"We're under the lake." Said an older student. "Or we will be soon enough."

"How far under?" Asked Hydrus, glancing quickly to the older student.

"Oh, not too terribly, I'd imagine. You'd have to get a proper map to see how everything sort of connects to everything else. It's better in the common room, though. It's a lot better than it used to be, too. Professor Sinistra's gotten soft in her old age."

"Related to you, Vega?" Viola asked, nudging her friend in the arm.

Vega rolled his eyes. "Didn't think she was still helming Slytherin. Mighty long walk from the Astronomy Tower down to here, isn't it?"

"Don't underestimate her." The older student said, chuckling. "Dunno how the old bat does it, but she can get around this school faster than most of _us _can. And we know all kinds of shortcuts to save time."

Hydrus cocked an eyebrow at the expression dawning on his sister's face. "No."

Viola glared at Hydrus. "You don't know what I was thinking!"

"You were going to challenge her to a race." Hydrus said, a bland expression on his face.

"Oh, you're no fun at all." Scowled Viola, lower lip jutting out.

The group came to a stop in front of an ordinary-looking wall. The prefects stepped up in front of it and turned to face the other students.

"This is it, folks. End of the line. Like the headmistress said, you'll need a password to get in. Right now, it's 'Arx Serpens.' Don't forget it and _DON'T _write it down. And do us all a favor and don't give it out to the people in other Houses. If you want to hang out with your friends, do it somewhere else." One of the girls said.

The other nodded. "There are two sets of stairs in the back of the room. The left goes to the boys' dorms, the right to the girls'. Girls can enter the boys' dorms, but not the other way around. And Professor Sinistra nearly made it so the girls can't see the boys, either, after an incident that happened last year."

There was a snickering from somewhere near the middle of the assembled group of Slytherins. One of the prefects drew her wand and fired a blue light up into the air. It formed into a sphere and flew at the person who had been laughing. The minute it connected with his head, he found himself doused by water. To her credit, the girl had excellent control with her spell, as none of the students around the soaked boy had been hit by the water. Clearing her throat, the girl who had just fired on her Housemate turned and tapped the wall. "Arx Serpens."

Piece by piece, the wall broke open and shifted out of the way, leaving an archway that led into the Slytherin common room. The prefects motioned for the students to enter first, which they did. Vega glanced around the room as he entered. The ceiling was a bit low for his liking, but he figured he'd get used to it. There were a good number of comfortable looking chairs and couches around the room, and a large fireplace along one wall was helping keep the place warm. The student that had spoke up had been right - it was a lot nicer here than it had been in the corridors leading to it.

"Everyone's had a big day, especially our new arrivals. First years, you'll be stopping off at the first landing you reach. Your trunks have already been delivered, so just look for them and claim your bed for the year." Said one of the prefects. "Everyone else, you know the drill - get up to bed. Just because there's only two proper days of school this week is no reason to think that your teachers won't dump work on you."

Hearing a noise, Vega glanced over his shoulder. The wall was sliding back into place and closing up. With a sigh, he turned and gave the room another once-over. The large pack had broken up, and students were talking among themselves. Some were doing as the prefects said and were heading for the stairs. Some had flopped down in the seats nearest the fire. And still others were pointing to Vega and the Malfoys, whispering to one another.

"Vivi, you gonna be alright?" Asked Vega. "No backup for you."

"Meh, I can handle myself." Viola said, smirking. "Good luck to you two, too. Twice the amount of questions I'm probably gonna get hit by."

"They can ask all they want. I ain't answering. At least not until this headache goes away." Vega said, a yawn overtaking the last half of his sentence. "Ugh..."

"Come on. Let's get some rest." Hydrus said. "We'll meet back down here tomorrow morning and head up to eat together."

"Good night, you two!" Viola said, bounding off for the stairs on the right.

"You know the three others in our dorm will be talkative twits, most likely?" Hydrus said as he and Vega headed for the other set of stairs.

"No point in delaying the inevitable, huh?"

"Indeed."

Sighing, Vega glared at the steps leading up. "Let's get it over with, then. The sooner I get to sleep, the better."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Welcome to the first chapter of the first book of R-2. Which is, chronologically at least, the direct sequel to the R-Series. If you haven't read it and have no idea what the hell is going on... well, why have you read to the end? Go to my profile, head down to The Philosopher's Stone Retransmuted, and start there. You've got about 830,000 words to read before you should be back here. And be sure to check out the F-Series, as well, which is probably going to be running alongside this, providing I don't change my mind and just alternate books. It's also a sequel to the original R-Series, and from a technical standpoint comes before this. R-1 left off on a strange sort of ending, and the F-Series is going to reveal what really took place. It's a bit confusing - just start from the start and go from there. I promise it'll make more sense by the time you finish Gauntlet of the Magi. The order is Philosopher's Stone, Chamber, Prisoner, Goblet, Order, Citadel, Gauntlet. Got it? Good, now go and read!

To those who've already read those, welcome back to the madness! As you can see, we're off to a quick start. Everyone's already at Hogwarts and the trio has been placed in Slytherin, of all places! Why Slytherin? Well, that would be spoiling a few things. Suffice to say, it's a fitting enough place for all three of them. As I said in the final chapter of Gauntlet, this isn't going to be about big, epic fights. At least, I don't THINK it will be. I typically plan one book at a time. I have, as I write this, only a few chapters of book 1 outlined. I'll be jotting more up as I go along. I'll probably go through about five or six revisions before book 1 ends. I really should put all of my unused and changed chapter ideas in a pdf sometime and link to it.

Anyway... I'll keep this relatively short. More character driven while still having that distinctly 'You're never safe at Hogwarts' flavor to it. It won't entirely be a romance-driven story, but the emphasis WILL be more on the characters than the action. At least, it presently is set to be that way. As I said, it might change. But as of now, that's the concept. If you want more action, the F-Series (Book 1 will be titled The Legend Reborn) will have more than enough of that to tide you over.

So... a future that isn't quite in line with the one from the end of Gauntlet. And yet it is, in fact, that same timeline. This isn't an alternate continuity from R-1. So how and why are things different? Why did Vega describe his father defeating Voldemort in a way that wasn't quite right? I suppose you'll just have to keep up with both new series to find out.

I'll see you next time!


	2. Anything But Ordinary

The first week at Hogwarts had gone just about as well as Vega planned. Which is to say, he had done poorly thus far in class. This, of course, led to even more people whispering about him when they thought he couldn't hear. Vega's headache, the one from the night of the Sorting, had lingered the entire week. It sat just between his eyes, oftentimes shifting to hide behind one or the other. But it was always there in some capacity, annoying him and making him tense. Viola and Hydrus did what they could to help, both with classwork and with those who tried to pester him. But, seeing as they were also moderately well-known, it hadn't been going over quite as planned.

In addition, Vega felt that a few students in particular were keeping a close eye on him. He wasn't _trying _to be paranoid, but it seemed like every time he looked up during a meal, the same people were looking his way. Some were older students, some were other first years. Vega had been teased pretty badly after his first Charms class. Though Professor Flitwick hadn't done anything to make Vega stand out, it seemed as though everyone was keeping tabs on him as he tried to make the feather float above his desk.

He had been expecting it, of course, but it still hurt. Just because he knew it was coming didn't make it any easier. A group of Gryffindor boys had caught him as he had left the little professor's classroom, making fun of his lack of magical prowess and asking if that's _all _the son of Harry Potter could do. Viola and Hydrus quickly caught up and intervened, helping Vega to escape the Gryffindors. But their words still lingered. It was one thing for him to doubt himself. But to hear others essentially confirm his fears sucked.

It hadn't been all bad, though. As it turned out, he quite enjoyed the first Potions class of the year. Professor Fedorov, a tall man with greying hair and quite a few facial lines, had been really interesting. He had gone over what he planned to teach them that year, had answered the smattering of questions that had come up, and set the atmosphere that he kept in his classroom. It was in sharp contrast to the horror stories his father had told him of what Severus Snape had been like as a teacher.

They had even had enough time after the explanation for a quick recipe to be concocted. It required only basic ingredients without any cooking time. It was just a simple healing salve, but Vega had gotten his nearly perfect. It had been the first class that he hadn't felt like a complete failure at, and it helped to boost his spirits immensely. That he was one of only a few to get it right only helped to cement that happiness. Thankfully, Potions wasn't doubling up with the Gryffindors. Instead, they were partnering with the Ravenclaws who didn't seem to care much about Vega. He still felt like someone had been boring a hole in the back of his head with their eyes, but any time he had looked around, he had seen no one glancing his way.

Flying training would begin the following week, which Vega was actually looking forward to. He had flown on toy brooms growing up, and his father had taken him out into the country a few times to practice on real brooms. They were all old, slower models and Harry had forbid his son from flying more than a few feet above the ground, but it seemed as though one of the few things he had inherited from his father was his flying capability. He wasn't entirely sure whether he would try out for the Slytherin Quidditch team the following year or not, though. He was quite sure, with his small frame, that a Bludger coming out of nowhere would snap half the bones in his body if it was angled right. He certainly wasn't going to try out for the Seeker position if he _did _decide to test himself. His mother often talked about the kinds of injuries his father had gotten from it.

Harry had argued, saying that it was his own recklessness, more than anything else, that usually got him hurt. But Tonks had waved a dismissive hand and smirked, saying that it was all the same thing. An injury was an injury and Harry always wore them like a badge of honor.

Vega knew from the get-go that Herbology was likely to be his worst subject. Neither of his parents had been that great at it, and even though Professor Longbottom was a really good teacher, it couldn't make up for lousy handling skills. Vega still wasn't sure what the hell that blue thing had been called, but he still smelled faintly of chalk and paint thanks to it exploding when he touched it wrong. Professor Longbottom seemed to take this as a personal challenge, saying that by the time Vega left the school, he would be able to not only identify any kind of magical plantlife, but that he would be able to also handle it safely. Vega wasn't so sure about that, but he had nodded before being sent off to the Hospital Wing to get de-gooped.

And that brought up another problem. One Vega hadn't been counting on. He hadn't seen her at the staff table on the night of the Sorting, so he hadn't been aware that she even worked there. But when he had entered the large medical room, a young woman with long, blond hair had been the only one there. Vega had just stood there for a moment before asking where Madam Pomfrey was. The young lady had pointed off toward the office in the back, saying that she was busy with a sudden request from St. Mungo's.

She had given Vega the once over, asking what the heck had happened to him. Vega related his story, scowling all the while, which seemed to amuse the woman. She motioned him over toward one of the beds, drawing her wand. Thinking back, Vega wasn't entirely sure what to make of her.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"This will only take a few seconds, but it's probably going to sting... not much I can do about that, I'm afraid." She said, a faint accent to her voice.

"So... you're also working here?" Vega asked, walking over and sitting where he had been instructed to.

"Yeah. At least for the time being. I'm in training here like my older sister was." Said the woman, looking Vega over for the best place to start the removal process. "She works at St. Mungo's now. Helped get me this position, actually... Oh dear, you really did get covered, didn't you?"

"Unfortunately." Vega said, letting out a yelp as the assistant mediwitch lightly tapped his ear. The blue goop covering it popped outward. It had gotten the gunk out of his ear and away from his face, but it had been as though someone had exploded a firecracker next to his head.

Sucking in a quick breath, the woman apologized. "Ooh, sorry. Yeah, it's deep in there, huh? That might be a problem. Probably don't want me poking all over. Well, you could probably get it all off yourself. Bit less embarrassing that way, I guess. Got your wand handy?"

Vega hopped up long enough to draw his wand. Sitting back down, he muttered, "Not that great with magic just yet..."

"Ah, that's alright. Everyone has to learn sometime. You can't just be expected to know all this stuff." Said the woman. "Here, tap the end of your wand to a spot you want to clear. Then it's a quick flick out. You'll make a bit of a mess, but it should come right off. It's going to leave your skin a bit raw for a few hours, so you might not want to go hang out under the sun. Should be okay by tomorrow, though!"

Vega mimicked the mediwitch's actions and, sure enough, the goop flew off of his face. It felt as though someone had ripped a piece of duct tape off of him, though. He bit back a swear, making an odd squawking noise in its place. "**OW**!"

The nurse giggled. "Careful! Don't do it too fast or it'll hurt worse!"

"Tell me that beforehand!" Vega whined, rubbing at the spot on his cheek he had cleared. "Jeez..."

"Aww, I'm sorry. Think you'll be able to clear it up, though?" Asked the woman.

"Yeah, I think so. I'll get Vivi and Hyde to help me if I can't..." Vega said.

The woman's eyes lit up a little. "Oh, you're Harry Potter's son? Hey, how is he these days?"

"You know him?" Vega asked. "...I mean, y'know, _know _him know him."

"Sort of. I met him when I was little." Said the woman, grinning. "God, it's been a long time, though. Your dad wasn't too much older than you are now, I think. He helped me out a little with a family problem, I guess you could call it..."

Vega tilted his head and, while still whipping more of the blue stuff off of his face, asked, "Who are you, anyway? I didn't catch your name..."

The woman started to reply, but was cut off when Madam Pomfrey's door opened up. The old matron looked around for a moment before seeing her nurse with a patient. "One from Neville's class, are you? I knew I'd get at least one covered in that mutated glumbumble's pus. Tsk..."

"It's alright, Poppy. He's been doing good at getting it off so far. Hey, guess who it is, too! You should be good at this. Saw his dad often enough!" Said the woman, giggling again.

"...Oh, don't tell me..." Madam Pomfrey said, giving Vega the most long-suffering look he had ever seen. "It's started again, then. I suppose I'll be seeing you in here every few weeks, too?"

"I'd like to _think _not." Vega muttered darkly, flicking a blob of blue stuff onto the curtains next to the bed. "Dad didn't really talk about staying in here too much, save for Quidditch stuff..."

"Your father was in here more often than I can recall." Madam Pomfrey said. "Even after he stopped playing for Ravenclaw, he wound up in here a lot."

"Were you coming to get me for something?" Asked the younger woman, tilting her head.

"Oh, yes, that's right." Madam Pomfrey said, sighing exasperatedly. "I need you to give me a hand with something for the St. Mungo's order. Your sister just fire-called to ask if we had anything on hand to help with burns. Apparently some fool in Gloucester managed to set his head on fire. He survived the incident, but he's in pain and with the other incident, the cooling potions are at a minimum. They're asking all the local apothecaries to assist, as well."

"Other incident?" Asked Vega. "Someone going around setting peoples' heads on fire?"

"No, this is a bit more serious, I'm afraid." Madam Pomfrey said. "A few days ago, St. Mungo's got an emergency call. Nearly a hundred witches and wizards of all ages from a small wizarding town were rushed in with severe burns. Someone had attacked their village and tried to burn the entire thing to the ground. No one knows who the culprits are, but there were a few disturbing bits of evidence left behind. I've been keeping in touch with the staff at St. Mungo's and have been helping in any way I can, but..."

"Who do they think did it?" Asked Vega, who had long since stopped pulling the blue gunk off of himself.

"At present, the Ministry believes some cult is trying to cause problems and instill fear in people. Unfortunately, it's working. You don't get that many people that badly hurt and play it down. If your father isn't off checking it out right now, I would genuinely be surprised. He never could help himself when it came to things like that..." Madam Pomfrey said, eyeballing Vega.

"We'd better get going, then, huh?" Asked the nurse.

"Indeed. We'll leave the office door open since we'll need to keep an eye out if anyone comes in, but..."

Vega hopped up, poking his forehead and flicking a bit more goop off of himself. "Don't let me keep you... I can handle this."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "If the underlying stinging doesn't stop within twelve hours, come back and I'll give you something to help ease the pain. It should be light, providing you aren't allergic."

"...And if I _do _turn out to be allergic?"

"Hives. Lots of them." Said the younger woman.

"Fantastic." Vega groaned.

"Indeed. Well, knowing your family's luck, it honestly wouldn't surprise me. Keep an eye on yourself, Mr. Potter, and come back if you see anything out of the ordinary. Now then..."

"Right." Said the nurse, glancing back at Vega for a moment. "Take care, alright? Poppy doesn't need her hair turning all the way white. It's grey enough a--"

"_Gabrielle_!" Snapped Madam Pomfrey, turning to glare at her assistant. "That is _quite _enough. Now come on. We need to hurry."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Vega had spent the rest of the day getting himself clean. Thankfully, he hadn't had any classes that day after Herbology, and it was still too early in the year for any homework to be given out. He hadn't, thankfully, been allergic to the blue pus that had hit him, though he thought the two mediwitches had understated just how much he was going to hurt. 'Stinging' nothing, the feeling left behind was a quick, pulsing ache. It felt as thought someone had taken a tenderizer to his skin. He had kept to himself that night in the common room, spending most of it scowling at the floor and grumbling about his bad luck.

As the weekend drew near, Vega started to feel the excitement in the air. Murmurs about the House teams and who they would recruit could be heard everywhere. He had even caught a few people grumbling that it wasn't fair that Slytherin got the kids of both the Potters and the Malfoys. Professor McGonagall, not long after she had taken over command of the school, had made a very simple change in regards to Quidditch. As she had broken the rule herself years before, first years were now permitted to join the Quidditch teams so long as a written form was sent and approved by their parents. As a direct result of this, she had also instructed to switch up the Bludgers to a slightly lighter model so the smaller first years wouldn't be as injured were they targeted.

Slytherin's team was in bad shape, to boot. Over half the team had graduated the previous year. Only the two Beaters and the Keeper were around. And the Keeper, Julie Carmack, would be graduating this year. Vanessa Eyrie had three years to go, and Ian Danielson, the current Captain, had just two remaining. Danielson had been sizing Vega and Hydrus both up when they were all in the common room, as though wondering if he should bother approaching either. Viola had been in a huff over this, demanding to know why the 'big jerk,' in her words, had been totally ignoring her as a candidate. Hydrus had calmed her, saying that if he had no intention of letting Viola try out, he would decline as well.

They had asked Vega what he planned on doing, but Vega didn't have a good answer. The idea was still interesting to him, but he wasn't sure. In the end, he told them he'd think about it and they seemed to accept this as a response.

Saturday couldn't have come faster for Vega, who needed a bit of a break to catch up on his work and to practice a little. He had been thinking of heading down to the lake to find a place to test his wand work out, but with the Forbidden Forest still regrowing, it didn't leave much by way of cover. And he certainly didn't want to be SEEN practicing. He did remember a place his father had told him about. One he could be alone if he needed to be. But he wasn't sure he wanted to be up so high. For all he knew, he'd end up doing something wrong and fling himself out of the tower. And unless someone happened to notice the explosion, he highly doubted anyone would catch him before he hit something.

That only left... but Vega shook his head at that. His father had gotten away with that, but there was no way he would have. Still, he knew where it was. Sighing, Vega decided to only go there as a last resort.

And so he had started walking, aiming to clear his head. Every so often, he was caught off guard as paintings slid open and students came hopping out through the end of a secret passage. He made a mental note to ask someone about those, as it would definitely help getting to and from the dungeons a fair bit easier. At least he didn't have to climb to the top of the school like the Gryffindors did, though. As it was, his legs were mildly aching every night from all the traveling. He didn't want to think himself out of shape at his age, so he put it off to distance and tried forgetting about it.

In the end, he wound up outside the castle. He didn't feel like heading to the lake anymore after seeing how crowded it was. The giant squid was lazing about and students were trying to get it to do something interesting for them. The Hogwarts grounds really were fairly lackluster these days. The lake took up a good chunk of real estate, and the forest was still regrowing. This mostly left a lot of grass, rocks, and uneven terrain. And the Quidditch Pitch, but that wasn't really a place to spend time unless you were practicing or felt like watching others do so.

Turning, Vega looked up at the school, trying to pick out the tower his father had told him about. Unfortunately, he was at too bad an angle to be able to see much of anything. Off in the distance, he could hear a faint '_CLANK_' noise every so often. It was coming from the Quidditch Pitch and was most likely the sound of some Beaters smashing a Bludger about. With nothing better to do and his head still irritatingly full of annoyances, Vega headed that way.

As he drew closer, someone came out of it and started back up toward Hogwarts. Lapis Eskander, the Ravenclaw that had been eyeballing Vega during the Start of Term Feast, was storming away from the Pitch with a scowl on his face. Not knowing what the boy was angry over, Vega kept his eyes locked downward. As the two passed one another, Vega overheard Lapis furiously growling under his breath about 'fairness' and 'equality.' Glancing over his shoulder with a confused look, Vega shrugged and continued on. Whatever the Ravenclaw's problem was, he had no idea. He assumed it had something to do with what was going on at the Pitch.

Heading for the Slytherin stands, Vega made his way up to the seats at the top and looked around. The Ravenclaw team was currently practicing. Their team seemed to be fairing far better than Slytherin's, with only a Seeker and Keeper in need of replacement. Vega watched them fly for awhile, taking careful note of the fact that they all seemed to be using school brooms. Whether that was just for practice or not was anyone's guess, though he didn't know why they would ever practice going slower. Still, he couldn't rule it out, especially if he ended up trying out for his House's team.

He thought the team was too caught up in its own dealings to notice him. The Slytherin stands were in the shade, and he was off to one side, unintentionally making himself hard to see. Despite this, the team's captain finally called out for the others to stop.

"Spy from Slytherin." He said, once the others had gathered around, motioning to where Vega was.

The team turned to look up at him, making him feel more than a little uncomfortable. The captain, a chunky sixth year that played Keeper, then flew up toward the stands to confront him directly. Vega scowled at this. He didn't want any trouble. He was just bored.

"Tsk... Harry Potter's kid? Danielson put you up to this?" Asked the teen.

"He can ask all he wants. I'm here on my own." Vega said, shrugging. "Didn't feel like studying, so I came here."

"Yeah, well go not-study elsewhere." Said the captain, making a shooing motion with his hand. "We're busy training up to put the Gryffindors in their place. Don't need anyone blabbing our secrets."

"Fine, fine..." Vega said, getting up. He didn't feel like leaving, but he also didn't feel like taking a Bludger to the face. "What'd that other guy get so mad at you lot for, anyway?"

"Other guy?" Asked the captain. "...Oh, Eskander? Wanted to try out for the team."

"I take it you shot him down? Looked like he was ready to strangle someone when we passed." Vega said.

Snorting, the teen turned his broom around. "Eskander can wait for the tryouts. Not going to accept just anyone because they walk in here feeling they _deserve _the spot."

"Fair enough." Vega said.

"Oi. Wait a second." Said the captain suddenly.

"What?"

"...You trying out?"

Vega looked back at Ravenclaw's captain, smirking slowly as he nodded. "Yeah. Seeker, like my dad was. Maybe next time we see each other, I'll be waving the Snitch over my head."

And with that, Vega left. He wasn't sure what it was about Ravenclaw's captain that rubbed him the wrong way, but he would be perfectly happy if someone would just crack some of his teeth out. He also wondered, as he started the trudge back up toward the castle, why Lapis Eskander had tried out before his team had started recruiting. Or why he had been so mad over being told to wait until they were. Perhaps, Vega thought, glancing off toward the lake once more, that all of the Ravenclaws currently in the tower were just incredibly cranky.

He had blown a fair bit of time and had gotten precisely nothing done. With a sigh, he resigned himself to his fate and headed back toward the dungeons. Whether he _wanted _to do it or not, his homework was still waiting for him. Not studying wasn't going to help him overcome his weaknesses, after all. Even so, he wasn't looking forward to the angry glares he would get should he mess something up and set the common room on fire or turn someone's hair neon blue. He wasn't sure where Hydrus and Viola were, which also bugged him. He had a feeling Hydrus was probably around the library, as his friend had wondered more than once about the Restricted Section in it. If he was there, his sister was probably along to make sure he didn't try to snag a book he wasn't supposed to have.

As he reached the moving wall and made it open up, he thought about putting his Potions work off 'til last. He didn't have much by way of Charms or Transfiguration work, but it was enough to make him want to end on a high note. Going over theories was so... boring. He knew why he needed to understand the theory behind a spell, but it was all just so uninteresting. And Transfiguration was fairly tough to grasp even if you weren't utterly absymal at it, as he had heard quite a few of his fellow first years griping over what Professor Ulrika had planned for them. Flitwick's work, at least, was all mostly simple and focused mainly on perfecting wand movement and spell pronunciation. He could get _that _with a little practice. Transfiguration actually required skill and concentration, however, and he had a feeling it would be a long time before he got any of it down.

Thankfully, he only had a brief bit in those three subjects to work on. It was still too early for the teachers to be dishing out anything major. Not that reading and glancing over what they had worked on in class was interesting enough to keep his focus. If something bored him, it bored him, and he couldn't just up and change that. Though he certainly couldn't tell from the brief time he had been at the school so far, he had a sneaking suspicion that Transfiguration to him would turn out being like Potions was for his father.

The common room was fairly packed with students and proved to be far too noisy for his tastes. And, not wanting to drag a bookbag full of stuff up to some tower he'd first have to hunt down the entrance to, he decided to just work up on his bed. He and Hydrus hadn't had as annoying dorm mates as they figured they would. But all of them were fairly plain. Very little stood out about the three, which they themselves had pointed out, saying that compared to Vega and Hydrus, they were going to have to work to get recognition. Vega hadn't missed the hint of bitterness in their voices. Hydrus did a pretty good job at bringing their spirits up, however, and the five had had a decent enough relationship with one another since.

He needed to get Transfiguration out of the way first, he just didn't want to. As he leaned back against the headboard and flipped his book open, he could almost feel his brain trying to break its way out of his skull. Who _cared _about the stupid theory behind turning a pin into a pincushion? He certainly didn't. And from everything he had heard, it didn't sound like Transfiguration got any more interesting as the years passed.

"...first must aim your wand at a forty-five degree angle," Vega droned, eyes half-closed, "and jab sharply while envisioning the change occurring within your mind. Should you have accomplished this, the object will begin to change. Once you see this, pull your wand down sharply and give a second sharp jab. The pin will have inflated much like a balloon and from this point you needn't do anything but wait for it to finish moving. The entire process should take little more than a few seconds if done correctly."

Rolling his eyes, Vega muttered, "Takes a few seconds, feels like an eternity. Could've at least spiced the book up with moving instructions. I'm not gonna remember _angles_. And why the hell do angles matter, anyway? What, is the pin gonna get _uppity _with me if I aim at a thirty-seven degree angle? This is stupid..."

Vega grabbed for the push-pin on his nightstand and glared contemptuously down at it. Were it capable of such a thing, he was sure the blasted thing would be laughing at him right now. Most of his class had been able to produce decent enough results. If nothing else, they had at least been able to get their pins rounded. His had been rather oblong and had a weird tumor-like bump at one end.

"Alright..." Vega said, blowing out a low breath. "Lesse..."

Holding his arm at a distintly annoying angle, Vega did as the book instructed. One sharp jab, wait for the transformation to begin, then a downward pull and a second jab. Of course, the book said nothing about how _far _one was to bring their wand down, or how big a 'jab' one should give, so Vega was on his own for this. He was envisioning a pincushion as best as he could, remembering the one Ulrika had on display for the class.

Some ten minutes later, and a spiked ball with several sickly-looking legs got thrown violently across the room, a strangled cry filling the air.

"Hell with this, I'm moving to Charms!" Vega snapped to no one in particular. "I'll give that old crone something to transfigure..."

Grumbling, Vega set about going over his Charms work which was far easier for him to grasp. But sitting around and doing the same thing for ten minutes was still sort of boring. He had gotten the hang of levitating small objects, but there was a weird size limit. He could float his books just fine, but his trunk definitely wasn't going anywhere. It scooted an inch or two away from the foot of his bed, but that's as far as he got with it.

Once he felt he wouldn't make an ass of himself in Charms, Vega finally settled back in with his Potions book. There wasn't anything particularly impressive about the actual potions they were going to make that year, as they had to be simplistic in nature. But Vega still found the whole process interesting. Magical reactions combined with chemical reactions to produce something completely new was something that simply appealed to him.

The first proper thing made would be a mild pepper-up potion. Vega knew that most of what they'd be working on would probably just get thrown out. Even with the Potions Master's fine inspection of them, they were still student-made. He wasn't even sure how many bottles of the salve they had made would see St. Mungo's. Still, it was a nice thought. That something they had made would go on to help others.

When he had finished scanning over everything that needed to be done, Vega put his books away and flopped back down on his bed. Maybe it had been all the reading, but he was feeling incredibly sleepy.

'Well,' he thought, scooting up far enough for his head to hit his pillow, 'I've gone over what I had to. Might as well take a nap...'

Besides, he was still the only one in the room. Hydrus didn't snore, but one of his other dorm mates, Alan Frost, did. And quite loudly, at that. And until one of them learned some kind of silencing charm that would solve their problem, they just had to deal with it normally.

Rolling onto his side, Vega sighed. Things weren't going as badly as he figured they would, but it was still an uphill climb. But, if that was what it took, he would fight the entire way to the top. The last thing he wanted was to embarrass himself or his parents. Promising himself that he would at least _try _to keep a more positive outlook, Vega let himself relax. And, within a few minutes, he had drifted off to sleep.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: God, this one took awhile. Sorry. Various things were keeping me from writing, including a brief yet highly irritating bit of time spent in the hospital. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Other than that, general start-of-something-new writer's block. I do have all the chapters plotted out roughly at this point. I won't give an estimate of how long it'll be, though. I hate doing that, then ending up short of what I claimed.

Plus I kinda forgot just how many names I'd need to think up. I originally didn't intend for Vega to join Slytherin's Quidditch team. But he will be. And for a very specific reason. There's also a few subplots involving Lapis Eskander I plan to throw into motion. I wouldn't say you should think of him as this era's Draco Malfoy... but that's about as close as I can 'place' him, so to speak.

As said, I do have all of book 1 plotted chapter by chapter. Book 2's got a fairly detailed overview that comes in about the size of an average chapter (around 30kb or 6000-someodd words). Then I have a faint overview for 3. 4 is mostly a breather, unless I decide to move one very important plot point up, which I may do. 5 is the 'okay, now it's just getting ridiculous' book, since I decided that, if nothing else, it's stupid to take yourself too seriously when you write fanfiction as a pasttime. That's gonna be a damn fun one. And from there, Vega as a character really opens up. Which is good, given what I have planned for him in 6 and 7.

Hell, I even have a mock-up bit written about Vega taking down the mysterious big bad guy of this series. I won't say who it is yet. But I have a general idea of how it's gonna go down. It's short, about 5kb, but it IS just the very ending moment where he triumphs.

Anyway, enough prattling from me. Next chapter, Quidditch tryouts will occur! Because holy crap, I hate slow starts!


	3. The Challenge

"Look, the Prophet's listing another attack!"

"Anyone we know?"

"It doesn't say who died, but look - Harry Potter's joined up with the Aurors to try and figure out who's causing them!"

"Is it that bad?"

"You think they'd bring someone like him in if it wasn't? Jeez..."

"Maybe they just want to be cautious? I dunno. It say anything else that's interesting?"

"Mm... just that Wolf's said that there's nothing to worry about and that they'd catch the culprits before any more attacks can happen. Load of crap, if you ask me. It's just a blanket statement to try and calm the public. But these have been happening for awhile now, haven't they?"

"Well, there _was _that village... and families have been getting attacked for awhile before that. That was just the biggest thing whoever it is has done. It can't just be one guy though, right?"

"Doubt it. Like I said, if Harry Potter's joined, he's probably worried. And that's never a good sign. Remember a few years ago when that group of escaped Death Eaters tried to make people think that You-Know-Who had come back to life? He'd joined up with the Aurors then and they managed to stop them."

"You think this is just more Death Eaters, then?"

"Could be. Plus he probably wants to round all the guys he didn't capture or kill in Germany."

"Think so?"

"Dunno, but I think it's likely. Kinda makes me uneasy though, thinking about people like that out there, running free. Hopefully they'll catch them. Or kill them."

Vega felt like banging his head against the Slytherin table. A couple of noisy Hufflepuff girls were sitting within earshot, noisily going on about that morning's news. He hadn't gotten a letter letting him know that his father was teaming up with Wolf's division again. It wouldn't stop people from bothering him about it, of course, so he knew he was in for a headache for at least a week to come. He wasn't really worried about his father, though. He could take care of himself and then some, after all.

Still, Vega couldn't help but agree with at least one point the girls had made. Harry wouldn't mobilize unless he thought it was serious enough. He enjoyed his relatively quiet life and had made it known on more than one occasion that he was getting too old to go out and, in his own words, 'keep saving the world.' He was sure his mother would go and stay with the Malfoys until Harry had gotten back, just to play it safe and to keep Harry from being worried. So he wasn't particularly worried about her, either.

Tuning back in on the girls' conversation, one other thing started nagging at him. The latest attack had taken place disturbingly close to Godric's Hollow. Vega was sure it was the culprits purposely taunting his father into action. It was no secret where they lived, after all. Anyone, the ones behind the attacks included, could easily find out where his family resided. Harry had once told him that he wasn't worried about a direct attack. Most of Godric's Hollow had been magically warded, their house especially so. No one with malicious intentions would be able to get within a mile of them without Harry knowing about it.

"Wish they'd shut up." Came Viola's voice from his right. "_Some _of us don't like to hear about death while trying to eat breakfast!"

"It would be easier to get the sun to stop shining than it would be to keep the rumor mill from gossiping." Hydrus said, looking as though he was trying to ignore the chattering girls as best he could.

"I guess. Let's talk about something less depressing! You guys decided whether or not you're gonna try out for the team?" Viola asked.

"I will be." Hydrus said. "Our team is in poor shape, after all."

"Vega?"

"Dunno. Danielson's got his damn eye on me, though." Vega sighed. "He's been pestering me for awhile now, asking if I'll be coming to try out. I've just been telling him that I'd think about it. Dunno if I wanna risk the kind of injuries dad liked to talk about, though."

"Bah, with the change to the no-firsties rule and the switch to lighter Bludgers, you'd be fine. And if not, the nurses can fix you up in a day or two. School Quidditch isn't _that _dangerous!" Viola chirped.

"Your dad never got his arm de-boned." Vega dryly retorted.

"That happened _after _the match." Viola pointed out.

"Yeah, he only had his arm broken _during _the thing." Vega said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I still dunno if I'll be there. Hyde, what position you going for? Keeper, I assume?"

"Mm." Hydrus replied, nodding as he chewed a bit of toast. "You really should come along, Potter. I've seen you in the air, remember. I know how you can--"

"Can we not bring that up?" Vega said, a forceful edge to his voice. "You know I don't like getting like that..."

Hydrus gave Vega a calculating look for a moment before nodding. "Fair enough. I just figured that with you going after the Snitch and me blocking the other team's shots, we could pull the Quidditch Cup into Slytherin's hands fairly easily."

Scowling, Vega finally did let his head thump the table. "There's more than enough toast left, Hyde. No need to butter _me _up instead. Look, I'll promise nothing. But if Danielson keeps pestering me and you really think I could, then... I dunno, maybe I'll give it a go. But if that kind of thing happens again, I'm out."

"Understandable." Hydrus said.

"I remember that. Your eyes were scary..." Viola said, frowning. "Hydrus, don't you dare try and guilt him into this, either! Vega shouldn't join unless _he _wants to."

"I'm merely throwing the suggestion out there." Hydrus replied, raising his hands defensively. "If he decides not to, I won't push the point. Though speaking of - don't look now, but Danielson's arrived."

"Dammit." Vega muttered, sitting up as Ian Danielson called his name.

"Potter! Good, you and Malfoy are here." Danielson said, casting a quick look at Hydrus. "Word got back to me - we've got the pitch for tomorrow morning! I'll be opening tryouts up at about 8 and run until 10 or 11, depending on how many show up. Can the two of you make i--_AUGH_!"

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Viola asked, her tone icy and her elbow in Danielson's stomach.

"Three. Three of you..." Coughed Danielson. "Ugh... thanks, I didn't want to eat right now, anyway."

"Brought it on yourself, 'captain.' I'm sure Vanessa and Julie would love to hear how you conveniently forgot I was here. Or that I was coming, too." Viola said.

Danielson suddenly went very still. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"...You're evil for a first year. Anyone ever told you that?"

"I'll accept that as a compliment, thank you!" Chimed Viola, smiling pleasantly.

"Right... well, anyway. Tryouts tomorrow morning. I'll be posting a notice up in the common room after breakfast, probably. We've _got _to get our team back into shape. Paul's been boasting that they have some secret weapon or something. Damned if I know what he's on about, though. And he certainly isn't telling..."

Paul Hawthorne was the captain of the Ravenclaw team. A 6th year and built like a small house, he was their current Keeper. He did a fine job of it, too. What he lacked in outright talent, he made up for with size. He and Danielson seemed to have had a running bet going on four years now. If one won the Cup, the loser had to do something embarrassing in public. The last two years, Slytherin had done rather poorly, and Danielson was getting rather irritated about it. He clearly was bothered by whatever secret that Ravenclaw was hiding.

"We've met." Vega snarked darkly.

"He's gonna _need _a secret weapon if the three of us make it on!" Viola said, smirking.

"Yeah... yeah, that's the spirit!" Danielson said, a spark re-igniting in his eyes. "Bloody piglet's gonna be the one in the tutu this year..."

Danielson headed up the table to eat then, rubbing his aching stomach and growling under his breath about the bet he had made. Vega watched him go, groaning and blowing out another sigh. "This place is gonna be the end of me..."

"Ah, come on. You won't know if you don't try, right?" Viola said, patting Vega on the back. "It was true, though. If the three of us made it on, we'd help right Slytherin's team back to where it needs to be! Wonder what Piggy Pauly's upto, though... look at him, grinning over there like he's already won..."

Sure enough, Paul Hawthrone had a wide grin plastered on his face and was joking with several of his friends and pointing off towards the Slytherin table - specifically, toward where Danielson was sitting. Probably joking about what he had made Danielson do for losing the bet multiple times. Vega watched him for a moment, his eyes wandering along the table. The secret weapon was obviously a person. But who? There were a number of people that _looked _like they were 'secret weapon' material. Vega wasn't entirely sure what positions on their team needed filling, but he was hoping Beaters weren't on there. The two they currently had were of average builds. But there were some rather large students sitting at Ravenclaw's table.

"Wonder if it's another first year." Vega murmured, partially lost in thought. "If it is, chances are we'll know who during flying class this afternoon..."

"If Hawthorne thought you'd get tapped as Seeker, he probably scoured all of Ravenclaw for someone that could go up against you." Hydrus said.

"That's rich, given he doesn't even know how well I can fly." Vega said. "Just because dad was good doesn't mean I will be."

"Hopefully you'll do alright in the air." Viola said. "Now that I'm thinking about it, it'd be pretty bad if Slytherin got a half-rate Seeker while Ravenclaw got an ace..."

"Ach... now _I'll_ be thinking about it. You guys both suck." Vega whined. "If I get on the team and break my kidneys or something, you'll never hear the end of it!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Up!"

The cry resounded through the Quidditch Pitch as the assembled first years tried to get their brooms to hop up off the ground and into their hands. For most of the students, the brooms did as instructed. But, as usual, more than a few had brooms that just rattled on the ground. Vega, whose broom shot straight up and into his hand, quickly scanned the crowd and made a mental note of the ones who couldn't get their brooms to obey. Those were right out for 'secret weapon' candidates.

The twins seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as Hyde had his eyes narrowed slightly in thought and Viola was silently counting downed brooms. Both were holding their own brooms loosely, having been able to rather easily get them to obey. Vega winced as a poor Gryffindor boy managed to get his broom vertical, only for it to jump up and crack him on the chin.

"Ooh, that'll sting for awhile." Viola hissed next to him.

Madam Hooch went along to each student who was having trouble and briefly helped them get the feel for handling their assigned brooms a little better. By the time she was ready to move on, most of the ones who had failed the first attempt had been able to get their brooms up, no matter how slowly or shakily they came. Though her hair had thinned and gotten whiter, Madam Hooch's eyes were still as sharp as ever, darting from one student to the next like a hawk searching for prey. Eventually, her whistle blew and she went to stand in front of the group again.

"Now then, everybody mount up and we'll actually take to the air! Not very high, mind you - I don't want to see any acrobatics from any of you." Said Madam Hooch, her eyes briefly shooting towards Vega and the twins before glancing over to someone else. But before Vega could follow her gaze, she had turned her attention on her own broom. Demonstrating how to kick off, Madam Hooch hovered a few feet off the ground, slowly circling her students. "This is as high as you go. So don't put too much force behind your push!"

Vega hopped on the school broom and kicked off, wobbling slightly as he got balanced. Frowning, he let himself move forward slowly. The broom seemed shaky to him and he wasn't entirely sure why. He shrugged it off to the brooms just being old and whirled around to face Hydrus and Viola, who seemed to be thinking similarly.

"Someone spike these with firewhiskey?" Viola asked, swaying a little.

"They do seem rather... clunky." Hydrus said. "But it may just be the fact that the three of us are used to far better. Potter, holding up alright?"

"I will so long as I don't get to taste the air." Vega muttered, glancing up at the sky and scowling at it.

"_YAUGH_!" Came a suddenly shriek from the far end of the Pitch. One of Ravenclaw's girls had been slowly doing a lap of the pitch when her broom suddenly pivoted downwards, throwing her off.

"Alright over there, Miss Thompkin?" Asked Madam Hooch, quickly flying over to check on the girl.

"Been better..." Said the girl, rubbing at her elbow as she stood back up. "There something wrong with these brooms?"

"A lack of talent on your part, maybe." Came another voice.

The girl, Emily Thompkin, turned to glare at the boy in question. "Oh, shut up already, Lapis! Just because you're doing alright doesn't give you the right to put me down!"

Lapis Eskander came to a halt near the girl, smirking down at her. "After what you said this morning, I think I'm perfectly justified in saying it, actually. Need a hand up?"

"I'd rather stick my hand in the toilet than have it touch yours." Snapped the girl.

"Children, settle down!" Madam Hooch said, her sharp voice making both Ravenclaws flinch. "Now then, if you're alright, Miss Thompkin, hop back on so we can continue..."

"Yes, Professor." Said Emily Thompkin, uprooting her broom from the ground and swatting at it before getting back on.

"Well, barring a few exceptions, it looks like everyone's got the hang of it. Perfectly normal to be bad with a broom, though. Not everyone's cut out for flight! Those of you who wish to remain low to the ground may do so. Everyone else has permission to fly up a little higher and speed up a bit. No flying any higher than the lowest goal post, though!" Madam Hooch said, flying up to the middle of the pitch and scanning her students. "And keep in mind where your fellow students are. Don't need any mid-air collisions this early on!"

"Come on, Potter. Just like warm-ups at home." Hydrus said, grinning at Vega as he shot up into the air, leveling out just below Madam Hooch's height and heading for the far end.

"Vivi, if... that happens again, would you stun me?" Vega asked, watching Hydrus fly around back of the goals.

"Don't think that'd be a very good idea. You'd get hurt when you slam into the ground. But I _will _go and holler at Madam Hooch." Viola said. "But c'mon. It was just the once, yeah? Don't be too scared. We're both here, so we won't let anything happen again!"

Patting Vega's back, Viola went to fly after her brother, leaving Vega back to watch the two of them for awhile. A little over a year prior, he had been staying with the twins for a week over the summer. They had been flying around Malfoy Manor, playing a dumbed down version of Quidditch. Two would be the Chasers while the odd man out acted as the Keeper. They had been playing the game for a few years off and on, allowed to go a little higher and faster with each passing summer, and it was all old hat for them by that time.

But something had happened when Vega and Viola were being the Chasers. Vega couldn't remember exactly, as to him, it had been like blacking out. He remembered nothing of the event itself, only knowing what the twins passed along. From what they said, he had suddenly come to a dead halt in the air, clutching at his forehead like a headache had struck him. He had almost fallen off his broom, but managed to keep on somehow. When he next looked up, all they had said was that he looked really weird. He had apparently swiped the Quaffle from Viola and nearly knocked Hydrus off his broom with the speed and force he had shot the thing at him. After the wild throw, he had actually blacked out and toppled off to one side. It was only due to the fact that their parents had come out that Vega hadn't hit the ground head-first.

He hadn't woke up until late that evening, and he remembered nothing about the time between the 'two' blackouts he had experienced. Truth be told, he had been worried about getting back on a broom until now, not wanting to trigger whatever had been the cause of his accident. But he felt alright so far, even feeling a twinge of longing hitting him as he watched Hydrus and Viola fly back and forth in a race of sorts from one end of the pitch to the other.

"What're you doing down here?"

Vega jumped a little at someone speaking to him and turned, seeing Lapis Eskander float down next to him. The Ravenclaw had been watching Vega for awhile, waiting for him to join his friends. When that never happened, he came to find out why.

"Bad memory. Nothing special." Vega said. "What about you? You look like you could be up there with Vivi and Hyde."

Lapis looked up as the twins continued their racing, Viola beating Hydrus out almost every time. "I'm not interested in races with no point."

"No point?"

"There has to be a point involved or it's boring." Lapis said, shrugging. Dark eyes shining, he grinned at Vega. "Was hoping to catch you up there and ask for a proper race, though. Word is, you're trying out for Seeker on your team."

Vega's gaze jumped back to Lapis. "Well, I guess that solves one question." He muttered. "Trying to scout the competition?"

"Something like that. Just looking for someone _worth _flying against." Lapis said. "I've seen the idiot Gryffindor's got as their Seeker. Even Thompkin could outfly that idiot. They must've been desperate."

"So what happened between when I saw you storming away from here and today?" Vega asked. "Because you looked pretty mad then."

"The potbellied pig wouldn't let me show him my worth right then and there." Lapis said, shrugging. "Simple as that. I turned up for tryouts like he wanted and blew away the other two who showed up. Word around the school is Danielson wants you as their Seeker. So what do you say, Potter? Let's have a friendly race. Call it a warm-up if you want. A little pre-match test to see which of us is superior."

"Pretty hung up on proving yourself, aren't you?" Vega stated dryly.

"Not all of us get free passes in life." Lapis said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Anything I'm good at, I'm good at for a reason. I spend a lot of time proving that people shouldn't look down on me. But I guess you wouldn't understand such a thing, would you?"

"You'd be surprised." Vega said, his own eyes narrowing.

"Would I, now?"

"You're no different from the people you claim to hate, you know. Judging me before you can see what I can and can't do."

"So prove yourself." Lapis said, his grin getting wider. "Show me your moves, Potter. Let's see what you can do in the air."

Vega hesitated for a moment, glancing up at the ever-watchful Madam Hooch. "You really think she'd let us little firsties do such a thing?"

"Only one way to find out." Lapis said. Shooting straight up on his broom, he called out to the flying instructor. "Madam Hooch!"

Madam Hooch glanced toward Lapis for a moment before resuming her scan of the students. "Yes?"

"I wanna see how Potter down there takes to the skies. Will you let the two of us race around the pitch?" Asked Lapis.

"Absolutely not." Madam Hooch stated.

"I've made Seeker for Ravenclaw, and Potter's going to be trying out for Slytherin. And we promise not to go _too _fast. We'll keep low enough to the ground that even if we tumble, we'll only get a few cuts and bruises. Come on, pleeeease?"

Madam Hooch cocked an eyebrow suddenly. "...And why can this not wait until an actual match?"

"Because I'm bored and he hates how slow the school brooms seem to go." Lapis said, lying through his teeth. "Come on, what harm can it do? Aside from, I dunno, one of us pulling right and crashing into the stands!"

"You're not helping your case." Madam Hooch said, blandly.

Scowling, Lapis looked down at Vega, waving for him to come up. Rolling his eyes, Vega flew up to join the two, his heart pounding a little harder as he ascended.

"Come on, Madam Hooch. Please? You know we'd find a way to come out here when no one's around and race if you don't let us. Isn't it better to race when you're around and we're both safer in doing so?" Lapis said.

Madam Hooch turned to properly look at Lapis, her eyes briefly wandering to Vega. "Buttering me up isn't going to help your cause, either. But it isn't the first time I've seen students like you. Eager to get a taste of speed in the air. Very well. But you _WILL _fly low and you _WILL _mind your speed. You're not going to blaze about or resort to underhanded tactics. This will be a straight race. Understand? Mr. Potter, are you also alright with this?"

"I suppose." Vega said, looking around him. "I won't lie... I've missed being in the air..."

"Flown at home, have you? Explains a bit. About both of you, actually. You'll be allowed your race, but only once class is over and only once the other students have vacated to a safer place. I'll keep watch from where I am right now, and should either of you try anything funny or it looks as though you're about to crash, I will intervene. These are the rules you will abide by or you can just wait for your match. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lapis said, grinning.

Vega nodded and, with Lapis, the two flew lower to the ground once more, arguing between themselves. Madam Hooch shook her head and let out an inaudible groan. "I must be getting soft in my old age. To think I'd cave that easily..." She winced as a Hufflepuff boy crashed at slow speed into the stands. "Then again... this _is _pretty bad..."

With a sigh, she grabbed at her whistle and blew on it, flying down to help the embarrassed boy out.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"You're doing **_what_**?!" Viola hissed, staring incredulously at Vega. "After all that talk about being wary in the air? And you're going to _race _someone?!"

"You didn't hear him. He's gonna keep bugging me until I relent. Besides, if I make Seeker, I'm going to be flying against him, anyway. Wouldn't hurt to see how he flies before I properly face him, now would it?" Vega said, idly tapping his broom against his shoulder.

"So you've decided for sure that you're trying out?" Hydrus asked.

"Mm. Maybe this'll just be one of 'those' things. I wouldn't mind having something other than Potions that I know I'm good at. Just wish I had _my _broom. I'll have to ask mum to send it over..." Vega said, sounding thoughtful.

"Well, if we can't talk you out of it, at least it's being monitored. ...That said, go show that smarmy Ravenclaw what it means to challenge Slytherin!" Viola said, a grin splitting her face.

Snorting, Vega waved a dismissive hand as he headed across the pitch toward Madam Hooch, who was standing in the middle. Class had ended, though a good many students had heard of what was going to occur and decided to hang back to watch. Lapis was already next to the flying professor, watching Vega carefully as he approached. Vega was doing something similar, scanning Lapis to see what kind of opponent he might be.

He was almost as short, being only a little bit taller than Vega was, and his weight seemed about the same. It was obvious that he had flown before and had to be fairly proficient if he was challenging someone to a race. If he had been made Seeker, Vega knew he had to be fast and good with turning sharply. That was fine - he could do that, too. Scowling a bit, he shook his head suddenly. No matter how he looked at it, they seemed to be evenly matched. It was just a matter of seeing who could do better once they were in the air.

"Alright, you two..." Madam Hooch began as Vega drew nearer. "Since you've somehow talked me into this, you'll follow the rules I listed earlier. Understand? You'll stay low, you won't push yourselves to your limits, you'll play fair, and you'll be mindful of the audience you seem to have gathered. I'll be watching from overhead and will bring a halt to things the minute I deem any of these rules have been broken." Turning her gaze on Lapis, she asked, "Did you have a path decided upon?"

"Up to Potter. Would you rather have a straight line back and forth or do you want to have a proper race around the edge?" Lapis asked, looking at Vega.

"Let's start with a straight line as a warmup, maybe." Vega said. "I'm still not sure if I can make this broom do what I want it to."

"Fair enough." Lapis said, grinning. "Shall we dance, then?"

Letting out a sigh, Vega mounted his broom and kicked off, heading for the far end of the pitch. Lapis was quick to follow, setting up a few feet beside him. Madam Hooch slowly spun her way up higher into the air and glanced down at the two first years.

"You're not going to show me up." Lapis said, quietly, his tone dark. "No famous-by-proxy kid is going to beat someone like me. I've gotten where I am through sheer hard work."

Vega glared at Lapis, who was focused on a point at the far end of the pitch. Swearing under his breath, he gripped the front of the broom a little tighter. To hell with playing by the rules. He was sick of people talking down to him like that! He didn't know who Lapis Eskander was or why he had such a chip on his shoulder, but someone needed to knock the smarm out of his mouth. Feeling highly irritated all of a sudden, Vega took it upon himself to do just that.

When Madam Hooch blew her whistle, Vega flattened himself out against the broom, shooting forward as fast as he could make the school broom go. He allowed himself a quick shift of his eyes, only to see Lapis, still almost perfectly at his side. But Vega was pulling ahead by just a little bit, and that was all the lead he needed. If Lapis was so very eager to take on the throne, then he would just have to accept the hand that fate dealt him. Focused as he was, Vega managed to pull a good broom's length ahead of Lapis before the two reached the end of the pitch. Lapis whirled his broom around sharply, glaring venomously up at Vega as he arched around into the air, coming to a halt near the top of the stands. The glare from Lapis was met with an equally fierce one from the Slytherin, whose heart felt as though it was going to jump out of his chest.

He wasn't sure where the sudden surge of confidence had come from, but it felt good to show _someone _up for a change, even if it was in a meaningless contest after flying class. And it served a second purpose, as well. It cemented a fact into Vega's mind - that he _was _capable of flying fast without suffering another blackout. That he could actually try out for the Seeker position without having to worry about anything but the occasional Bludger flying his way. Despite his hearing seemingly going out for a few seconds after coming to a stop as he tried making the adrenaline slow down, Vega felt better at that moment than he had since coming to Hogwarts.

Flying back to ground level, he hopped off his broom and hitched it over one shoulder, smiling at it and whispering a word of thanks. Maybe it wasn't such a clunky broom, after all. It wouldn't beat his own broom in the air, but it had done its job admirably. And the look of anger on Lapis Eskander's face made it all worth it. The Ravenclaw was stomping his way over toward Vega, his broom thrown carelessly to the ground en route.

"This isn't over, Potter!" Snapped Lapis, drawing up close enough for Vega to see how bloodshot his eyes were. "You're going to try out for the Seeker position, you're going to _get _it, and we're going to have a _proper _match in the air on _proper _brooms next time! And so help me, if you try to worm your way out of trying out, I'll find you and beat you up good! I want a real challenge. I want to see who can get the Snitch first. And when Ravenclaw first faces off against Slytherin, I want to show the entire school who the better Seeker _really _is!"

And with that, he was off, shoving his hands into his pockets and skulking his way off the pitch. Vega watched him leave, something odd trying to sound off in the back of his mind. It was like he had seen something in Lapis' eyes but couldn't place what. Dismissing it as just a bit of confusion after pushing himself a bit too hard after so long off a broom, Vega turned and headed over toward where Madam Hooch was waiting.

"Uh... sorry?" He said, offering a nervous grin to the professor.

"You're just like your father. Has anyone ever told you that?" Madam Hooch asked, her tone as dry as a desert. "What happened to not going too fast?"

"Got something stuck in my craw?" Vega offered.

Rolling her eyes, Madam Hooch took the school broom from Vega. "Snippy as that child is, Eskander was right on one point. If you make Seeker, watching the two of you fly should be quite an experience. Your father had a good many crazy moments in the air up until he quit the team. In fact, I'll offer you this, Potter. You get on the Slytherin team and give us something interesting to watch and I'll 'forget' that you two broke one of the rules you agreed to."

"...Really?" Vega said, eyebrows raised. "But why do that? I'm not _that _impressive. And if Lapis couldn't keep up, he couldn't be, either, right?"

"Ah, but you weren't observing things like I was. I saw something _quite _intriguing in the few seconds it took the two of you to shoot from one end of the pitch to the other. I'd like a chance to see that again." Madam Hooch said, an odd look in her eyes. "In any case, think about it. You two have piqued my interest a good deal. It would be a shame to see such naturals in the air go to waste."

Passing by, Madam Hooch headed over to collect Lapis' broom before taking off. Vega watched her leave, frowning at what she had said. He just didn't get it. But maybe he didn't need to. Viola and Hydrus were approaching, the former looking stunned and the latter having an equally odd look in his eyes.

"What was _THAT_?!" Viola cried.

"What was what?" Asked Vega, cocking an eyebrow.

"What you just did!" Viola said, poking Vega in the chest. "You didn't fly that fast last time you were in the air with the two of us!"

"I...dunno? Just felt like beating Lapis, I guess." Vega said, shrugging. "After what he said to me before we started, I couldn't let him win. ...Something wrong, Hyde?"

"Ask again if you make the team." Hydrus said, slowly. "For a brief moment, I thought I saw something off... but I want to confirm it before I say anything more..."

"Something off? Like what?" Vega asked.

Hydrus shook his head. "I'll tell you after our first match against Ravenclaw."

"You think we can all make it?" Vega asked.

"If you can pull that kind of performance at tryouts, I do." Hydrus said, offering up a rare smile. "In fact, I'd imagine word of your speed is going to reach the corners of the school by nightfall, given the other onlookers. They've already run off, presumably to inform others of what Ravenclaw and Slytherin might be bringing to the table. Keep that pace up all year and no one will be able to _touch _our team."

Vega flushed, bowing his head a little. "Stop talking like I was some Quidditch god. I don't even know if I could chase after a proper Snitch. Never had any practice going after a real one... I might be able to bring a little speed, but what if I can't focus on the Snitch? Just now, I was focused pretty solidly on the far end of the pitch. Dunno if I can go that fast and still pay attention to other stuff..."

Hydrus put a hand on Vega's shoulder, causing him to look up. "Potter, trust me. I think there's something only you'd be able to do for our team. I don't know who else plans on trying out, but I can almost guarantee they wouldn't be able to pull off what you just did. All you need to do is set your initial focus on the Snitch. Block out everything else. Leave the Bludger worry to the Beaters, leave the Quaffle worry to the Chasers, and leave stopping the other team's Chasers to me. You just keep focused on the Snitch and don't let any of the other teams' Seekers get their filthy paws on it. Think of it like it was your property. The other Seekers have no business touching it, now do they?"

"Do... do you really think I'd make a good Seeker, Hyde?" Vega asked, quietly.

"Potter, I think you could be a better Seeker than your father was." Hydrus said, looking Vega squarely in the eyes.

"Vivi...?"

"Hydrus is right." Viola said, grinning and latching onto Vega, pulling him into a hug. "You could be the best thing this school's seen since our parents were running around it! You could fly circles around everyone here, I'll bet!"

Blushing a bit more, Vega let out a groan. "Fine, fine. I'll try out. But the first time something gets one of my limbs broke, unless it's my own fault, then I'm out. Okay?"

"It's a deal." Hydrus said, smirking.

"Let's go up and tell Danielson the good news!" Viola exclaimed, punching at the air. "We'll have this team filled out and working better than it has in years!"

Vega let the twins tote him back up towards the castle, talking animatedly about the potential the Slytherin team could have with its roster properly filled out. Vega mostly stayed quiet, his mind racing. He wasn't sure why he felt like doing this now. Maybe it wasn't any more complicated than not wanting Ravenclaw to win the Quidditch Cup. But the praise from Hydrus certainly didn't hurt any. It was rare for the boy to get that fired up about anything. As much as his friend tried to keep an even head at all times, he couldn't keep it up _all _the time. Vega knew that Hydrus also wanted to prove himself to a certain extent - that his family name wasn't going to be what got him places in life.

Viola encouraging him wasn't anything new, though. She was always there with a kind word, and he was grateful for it. She kept him from being depressed quite a bit through sheer stubbornness and an upbeat attitude. But just like Hydrus, Vega had seen the other side of the girl a handful of times over the year. When Viola and Hydrus were five, they had gotten a kitten for their birthday. Viola had taken to it right away and it was rare to see her away from it for too long. Around their tenth birthday, however, it had gotten into something it shouldn't have and died overnight. Viola had been inconsolable. It was one of the few times Vega had ever seen her cry, in fact.

Vega had done what he could for her, trying to be there for her like she usually was for him. He wasn't very good at it, though, and no matter what he had tried, he hadn't been able to cheer her up. Finally, he had decided to simply talk to her and tell her what _he _did when something had upset him. As nice as it was to have friends you knew you could trust to be there for you, sometimes that just wasn't what was needed. So he sat next to her and ordered her outright to cry until she couldn't anymore. She had been jolted by his sudden change of tactics, and asked what he was trying to do. He had said that whenever something was really bothering him, it was what he did, embarrassing though it was to admit. He said that until you had a good, long cry and did something properly about the situation, it was just going to hang around.

He had promised that they would go and fix a proper little grave for the cat, who had simply been buried in the expansive 'back yard' of the Manor, under a large tree that it liked to get stuck up in. They would give it a little tombstone and bring flowers and give the cat a proper farewell. He had grinned at Viola then, saying that he wasn't going anywhere until she gave in. To that day, he wasn't sure which part of what he said got her to break down in tears. He just knew it took almost two hours straight before they subsided. Hydrus had wandered in at the sound of his sister crying again, and joined Vega in comforting the girl until she was feeling better.

When the tears had ended, Viola claimed to feel a little better, if slightly sick from crying so hard for so long. And after she got to feeling better, Vega and Hydrus went to the twins' parents to tell them what they wanted to do. Vega had hung back while the four Malfoys had gone out to the tree to make it look a little better. He had told Hydrus to keep ahold of his sister for support, just in case. And until they turned to come back in, Viola's face tear-stained but finally smiling once more, Hydrus had kept a hand on her back.

A number of things had become clear to Vega on that day, none of which he really enjoyed thinking about at length. They all tended to make him sad. But, as the trio entered the castle and headed for the dungeons, Vega couldn't help but smile a little. It was weird to think that it had occurred just a little over a year ago. It seemed like so much longer to him. But since that point, Vega couldn't remember seeing Viola upset over anything. And Hydrus had taken Vega's words to heart, trying to be a better brother, as he had been rather lost in regards to what he should do to help his sister out.

"Hey guys?" Vega said, interrupting the talk about Quaffle weight that had been going on.

"What's up?" Asked Viola. "You've been pretty quiet. Alright there?"

"Yeah. Just thinking too much, I guess." Vega said.

"Haven't we warned you that that was bad for you?" Hydrus said.

"Yeah. Do that too much and you'll be re-Sorted into Ravenclaw. And think about _that _for a minute. You'd have to deal with that Eskander guy constantly!" Viola added.

"...Great, now I've completely lost my train of thought. I was going to ask something and it's totally slipped my mind." Scowled Vega.

Ruffling his hair, Viola cackled. "Good! Mission accomplished, then!"

Batting the girl's hand away, Vega glared at her. "Stoppit!"

"Or you'll do what, shorty?" Asked Viola, grinning.

"Shorty?!" Vega repeated, sounding indignant.

Viola stuck out her tongue. "Yeah! Shorty! Whatcha gonna _do _about it?"

"You remember that bat-bogey hex we saw in one of my dad's spellbooks?" Asked Vega, a grin of his own slowly forming.

"...You wouldn't dare." Viola said, standing very still all of a sudden.

"I might. I might not." Vega said. "Depends on if you keep it up with the name-calling."

"Viola, stop tormenting Potter. Potter, stop threatening to hex my sister." Hydrus said, passing between the two. Drawing his wand, he tapped the right places in the wall, letting the door to their common room form. "In you go. Potter, go and round up Danielson."

"If I must." Vega said, sighing. "But if he makes a scene, I'm gonna hex _him _instead."

"If he makes a scene, you have my full permission to do so." Hydrus stated.

"This might not be so bad after all, then. In we go!"

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Well, this one didn't take long to crank out. Three sections, three sessions. Not like chapter two, which took a month of Sundays to get done. Might be able to get a backlog going at this rate! Feels good to get back into the swing of things! It helps that I've decided to section off my time in a way that leaves me a bit more 'free' time to do stuff other than stare like a zombie at friggin' WoW all day.

Anyway, this came out a bit longer than I'd intended. It was planned to end right at the finale of Vega' race against Lapis. Who, by the way, seems to be very cranky about something or another, don't you think? He must be at least a little worried now that he's seen Vega fly.

Next chapter shouldn't take too long to do. Maybe it will. Quidditch always was one of my weaker points. Expect very little Quidditch-ing and a lot more internal monologuing and banter between Lapis and Vega, though. September's drawing to an end in the story and the first match of the season will pit Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. Because why the heck not, right? And hey, poor Vega finally found something else he's not terrible at, good for him! Jeez, he keeps this up and he might manage to drag himself away from his inferiority complex, huh?

Points to anyone who can catch any of the various hints at stuff that gets dropped. There were a FEW in this one. I'm trying to pepper them here and there and not be TOO blatant about it. Though occasionally I'll throw you guys a bone. Who knows what I might be foreshadowing at any given time, though. There's a lot of craziness planned for R-II. Guess you'll just hafta keep reading to find out what. Seeya next time!


	4. Legacy of Lightning

Vega rubbed at his temples, staring down at the letter on the table and, not for the first time, looking over what it said. So there he was, with permission from his parents, waiting for Danielson to come and say it was time to begin the Slytherin tryouts. Harry had added, towards the end, that the Ravenclaws sounded like they had grown snarky since he and Tonks had graduated and that it would do them good to be put in their place. He wrote that Vega should remember everything he had taught him about control and Quidditch in general, as well.

He had been fighting with himself on his decision, and although he had already made his choice, he still wasn't one hundred percent sure that it was the brightest idea he'd ever had. Still, headache aside, it felt good to have some kind of driving force in his life. He still wasn't sure what Lapis Eskander had against him, and he certainly had no idea why the Ravenclaw boy was so intent on Vega being a Seeker like he was. But he had decided he'd sooner let someone stab him in the eye than let that jerk make him feel any worse about his own abilities.

Viola and Hydrus were both behind him on his choice, of course. Flying was one of the few things that Vega was naturally good at, and they said that he should prove it. If Lapis was so hung up on such a concept, then Vega should turn it against him. The twins had gotten a letter from their parents, as well, giving the two of them the go-ahead. Professor Sinistra had looked like Christmas was going to come early that year when they had brought the notes to her for verification, wishing the three of them good luck.

On their way back from the staff table, Vega had locked eyes with Lapis. Ravenclaw's Seeker smirked at him, eyes glancing to the letter clutched in his right hand. For his part, Vega scowled and went to try and make his headache go away.

"No worries. It's just the tryouts. Not like there's anything you need to be anxious over!" Viola chimed. "With the rumor mill working in our favor, I dunno if we'll even have another Seeker tryout with you around. You're a shoe-in!"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Vega muttered. "What if I _am _the only Seeker? What if I choke? Or... if _that _happens again...?"

"We'll cross those bridges if and when we come to them, then." Hydrus stated. "I'd be more worried about someone coming down to watch us. If your rival over there doesn't come to watch you perform, it would surprise me. I wouldn't be surprised if all of the other Seekers came to try and see what they might be up against, in fact."

"Way to take off the tension, Hyde." Vega groaned, letting his head hit the table. "Ow."

"Aww, come on, Vega, cheer up!" Viola said, rubbing at Vega's back slowly. "You'll do fine, Hydrus will do fine, and I will of course do fine! We'll storm all of the other teams! After all, we're the good guys and they're all evil! Trying to take what's rightfully ours! The Quidditch Cup's gonna come back and _stay _with Slytherin as long as the three of us are here!"

"Vivi, it's way too early in the day for the whole ally-of-justice-mode thing..." Vega muttered.

"I'm gonna 'ally of justice' _you _if you don't get somethin' in your stomach." Viola said, prodding Vega in the back of the neck lightly. "You're gonna feel sick if you don't."

"I'm going to feel sick regardl--knock it off!" Vega snapped, swatting at Viola's hand and sitting upright.

"There! You've got your energy back!" Viola said, grinning happily. "Mission accomplished!"

"Your sister is completely mental, has anyone ever told you that?" Vega asked, looking at Hydrus.

"Oi!" Viola cried, sounding indignant.

"Better be careful, Potter." Hydrus said, cutting into some pancakes. "I've had her dump syrup all over _my _head in the past. Might be best not to make her want to do it to you, as well."

"Duly noted." Vega said, sighing. "Alright, alright, I'll try and find some vigor to put into this. I _do _want to prove that jerk wrong. Helping Danielson win might not be so bad, either. Though that might change depending on how hard he ends up drilling us during training sessions..."

"And who knows. You might end up not quite so scrawny after a few years of Quidditch!" Viola said, smiling sweetly.

Vega glared at her. "I can't help being _small_! And second, what the heck kind of muscles could you possibly develop as a _Seeker_? My reflexes getting better, sure. But I'm not going to suddenly grow a half foot and fill out a bit more! ...Not that I'd mind if that happened, but you get the point."

"Being short's in your favor for once." Hydrus said. "You'll be able to push yourself faster than your taller opponents."

"Maybe. Where the hell are our brooms, anyway?" Vega asked. "I never saw Eligor drop mine off. I don't think he could even carry mine, to be honest. Nidhoggr didn't bring anything, either..."

Eligor was one of two tawny owls currently living at the Potter residence. With as many letters that his father regularly got and needed to reply to, having just one would do no good. They found a pair of owls, both from the same parents, and decided to give them a good home. Eligor was the one that seemed to be relegated to bringing mail to Hogwarts. His sister, Berith, tended to be more for his father's business purposes, though she was more capable of bringing packages. Tonks had been the one to choose the names, and found a good deal of amusement in it. Eligor and Berith weren't terribly big owls, even fully grown, and the thought of naming them after demons tickled her for some reason. Harry and Vega just smiled and nodded, earning the both of them a light smack on their heads.

Nidhoggr, on the other hand, was a regal-looking hawk that belonged to the Malfoys. Draco had never been a tremendous fan of owls, and given the choice, he had gotten something that seemed a bit more fitting. Nidhoggr, in sharp contrast to the two owls that the Potters owned, was absolutely enormous. If he had flown in, they definitely would have noticed it.

"Not sure." Hydrus said. "I was wondering about it, as well. Do you think our parents just forgot?"

"Doubt it." Vega said. "Not as into it as our dads were. I dunno, maybe they're just waiting for us on the pitch or something."

"Wouldn't surprise me. The whole 'big reveal' or whatever. Our dads are weird..." Viola said, sighing melodramatically.

"I hope your dumb hawk's gotten over the whole trying-to-devour-our-owls thing..." Vega muttered darkly.

"Well Eligor _is _about as big as the rats he seems fond of." Hydrus said, shaking his head. "We just can't seem to get him to stop eating the things for some reason. Father's tried everything he can think of. He said he doesn't want to try anything involving Nidhoggr's mind since neither he nor mother were ever very adept at those types of spells."

The doors to the Great Hall suddenly flew open, and a voice that was _far _too chipper for that hour of the day called out to Vega and the twins.

"Alright, you three? Come on! Tryouts will be starting in fifteen minutes and I want to talk to you lot somewhere, before the other Houses try to send their spies down!" Said Ian Danielson, being loud enough for the other team captains to hear. "That and we aren't going to be able to do anything until you get your blasted animals from flying around, causing a racket!"

"He'll never change." Viola groaned, getting to her feet. "Come on, then. Let's go rescue poor Eli from our bully of a hawk..."

"Eligor's going to have a heart attack at this rate!" Vega whined. "Poor thing's not cut out for being hunted!"

"At least he's fast." Hydrus said, as he and Vega got up to join Viola and Danielson. "Nidhoggr's never going to be able to actually _catch _him. He's too big to fit into all the little hiding spots Eligor likes to stuff himself to stay safe."

"I guess." Vega grumbled.

Danielson scanned the other House tables for a moment before motioning for a handful of Slytherins to come along after a few minutes. Giving a calculating grin to Paul Hawthorne, Danielson then turned and strode out behind Vega and the twins, closing the doors to the Great Hall behind them.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Vega leaned back against the nearest stand, watching as the Slytherins trying out for Chaser took turns throwing Quaffles towards the goals. Hydrus was on his broom just in front of them, and did a good job deflecting most, though a few shots did make it through. And though Hydrus himself might not have been noticing it, almost all of those that got through had been thrown by Viola. Just over a dozen students from Slytherin had come to try out. And students from the other three Houses were parked throughout the stands, watching the tryouts freely.

Danielson had told them that he didn't jolly well care _who _saw who they picked to be on the team or how well they worked together. After arriving at the pitch, Vega and Hydrus had had to take care of their little problem on the field. Eligor was holed up inside one of the stands and Nidhoggr was trying his damnedest to pluck the tiny owl out. Hydrus had dismissed the hawk after giving it a rather sound dressing down. Nidhoggr had flown off, seeming surly, and Eligor had popped out, chirping gratefully.

Three wrapped brooms had been laying on the ground near the current Keeper, Julie Carmack. She had said Eligor wasn't the one to bring Vega's, so he assumed Berith had set it down and left at some point. After telling the little owl to fly home carefully, Vega had gone to unwrap his. It was just over a year old and wasn't anywhere near the high end of the line, but his Lightwing had seen its share of speedy outings around Malfoy Manor. The twins' models, a pair of Arcus-65s, were propped up against one of Slytherin's stands.

When asked about Hydrus trying out for Keeper, Danielson had merely waved a dismissive hand, saying that Julie would be graduating that year and if Hydrus planned to stick with it, it would be good for him to get some practice in. If anything happened to Julie, he would be called in as the reserve. Most students came to try for the Chaser position. Only one came to try out for a reserve spot as a Beater. Both Ian Danielson and Vanessa Eyrie were in their fifth year at the school and neither planned to leave the team any time soon. But, Danielson had said, their old reserve had graduated the previous year, and he definitely didn't mind at least one backup in place.

And though he wouldn't outright say it, Vega picked up on it when he spoke. No one else had come to try out for the Seeker position and Danielson was worried. Vega was trying not to think about it too much, as he already had a bad feeling about the day. Danielson had said he planned on trying something 'a little different' for testing Vega's skills out.

After almost an hour, Danielson turned to face Vega once more. "I know what you're thinking."

"That makes one of us. Go on, then. Wow me." Vega said.

"You're wondering how you can try out by yourself. Probably wondering if me or one of the others is going to fly against you as practice. But I figured... nah. That wouldn't serve either of us. So I wrote a letter last night - told someone to come meet us out here. Seemed pretty interested in seeing you fly up close..." Danielson said, arms crossed. "I figure the only way to test a Seeker is against another Seeker."

Bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, Vega muttered, "Danielson, I swear, if you did what I think you have..."

Smirking, Danielson glanced over toward the stands and nodded. "He had no objections. And he can always tell Paulie that he was spying for their team."

Vega let out a low groan as he turned to look where Danielson was. Sure enough, just like he feared, Lapis Eskander was slowly making his way toward them, broom in hand. The broom was almost identical to Vega's own, which didn't make the knot in his stomach untie itself any further. If they had the same model of broom, it was just down to flying speed and reach. And Lapis had him beat on the latter part. But if he could outspeed the Ravenclaw, he could overcome that problem rather soundly. It was just a matter of focusing.

"Took long enough." Lapis said, glancing briefly to Danielson. "Thought you'd never get around to your star Seeker here."

"Ian, what the hell are you doing?" Asked Julie Carmack, glaring at Lapis. "Why're you letting their pipsqueak spy on us?"

"I don't want to steal your strategies. And I really don't care who the rest of your team consists of. I only care about one thing - getting a proper test out of Potter here." Lapis said.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Eskander." Vega growled. Then, turning to glare openly at Danielson, he added, "And _you _better know what you're doing here, 'Captain.'"

Danielson grinned down at Vega. "Would you lot just trust me? We can't fly at the speeds Seekers need to fly at. We're all pretty focused on our own positions. And since no one came to challenge the throne, as it were, I needed a substitute. Does it really matter where that substitute comes from?"

"Yeah, I'll remember that line if we lose to them and you're moping about the common room." Vega said, shaking his head. Looking back to Lapis as he sighed, Vega asked, "Shall we get this over with, then?"

"I'm ready whenever _you _are, Potter." Lapis said.

"The rules, such as they are, are simple." Danielson said, walking over to the case that held the Quidditch balls. Taking out the Golden Snitch, he looked at the two Seekers. "I believe I don't need to go over them for either of you?"

"Of course not." Lapis said.

"I just wanna get this over with." Vega grumbled, hopping onto his broom and kicking off.

Smiling at Danielson before following Vega into the air, Lapis whispered, "Hope you aren't a sore loser..."

"We'll see who loses." Danielson said, confidence in his voice. "Alright, you two! Releasing the Snitch in three, two..."

Almost as soon as Danielson had released the ball, it had vanished. Vega was slowly patrolling around the edge of the pitch, eyes darting one way to the next. Lapis flew almost twice as high, staring down at the pitch like an eagle searching for prey. The minutes passed by quickly, with the Snitch not so much as making a brief appearance. Feeling slightly annoyed, Vega pulled up on his broom to go up to Lapis' level.

"Think it flew off?" He asked.

"Think it's more likely your captain did something to it." Said Lapis, sounding more than a little annoyed. "I came here to face off against you properly, not sit around for a half hour, waiting for the ball to show."

"Agitated already?"

"Just bored."

"Mind if I ask you something?"

"Might as well. Not like we've anything better to do right now."

"Why me?"

Lapis glanced over. "What?"

"Why are you so interested in _me_?" Vega asked. "I'm not special. I'm as far from special as anyone could be. I'm alright in Potions and I've had some experience on a broom growing up, but neither of those is really spectacular. Certainly not enough to have someone wanting to race me and stuff. So why me?"

Lapis' gaze lingered on Vega for a moment before he resumed scanning the pitch. "Because you're my opposite. You could get by in life never lifting a finger just because Harry Potter is your father. Harry Potter got by in life because he was supposedly the only thing that could stop Lord Voldemort. But he wasn't special. And you're right - neither are you."

"That doesn't answer my question." Vega noted.

"You wouldn't understand." Lapis said, his hands gripping the broom handle tighter. "You're not different."

"Pfft. Harry Potter's kid. Hi. Remember me? Yeah, I jolly well _do _understand what it's like to be different." Vega said, rolling his eyes.

"Not what I meant." Lapis stated. "Look, my reasons are my own. Just promise me you'll give me a proper race this time. I'm not holding back, so neither should you. Both of us are off school brooms, so we can probably handle ourselves better. And I'm willing to bet that somewhere, you want to show me up. Just to wipe what you perceive to be smugness off my face."

"You're never going to make any friends if that's how you go about things in life." Vega said.

"'Don't make enemies, they'll stab your heart. Don't make friends, they'll stab your back.'" Lapis said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Keep your eyes on the Snitch, Potter. Or you'll miss your chance to go after it!"

Lapis shot off at that point, causing Vega to jerk his own gaze back downward. Sure enough, the Snitch was flying down near the goals on the far side of the pitch. Cursing under his breath, Vega flattened himself against his Lightwing and took off after the Ravenclaw Seeker.

His own broom felt so much better than the one from the school. He _knew _how to control this one. He knew its limits and how far he could push it beyond them. He knew exactly how to fly offensively. He had been taught well by his father, after all. A mild bit of paranoia on Harry's part and this was the result. Vega slipped forward slightly as he caught up to Lapis, the Snitch a few feet in front of them and flying in an erratic pattern over the Hufflepuff stands. He had missed this feeling. Of being truly good at something. Of feeling _free_. Of his thin frame not being as big an issue. Up here, he would be the one in charge. Up here, he would be the one looking down on others.

As the Snitch seemingly vanished once more, both Lapis and Vega came to an equally abrupt stop. Vega let his gaze unfocus, remembering the things his father had told him. Trying to focus on any one spot was a bad idea and was why he missed the Snitch the first time. He wasn't going to let that happen again. If he didn't focus on anything, he would be able to instantly tell what was moving and where it was. Of course, he still had to be facing the right direction, but his eyes were sharper than his father's were. The lack of a need for glasses was a tremendous help all its own.

After a few minutes of hovering in place, waiting for the Snitch to reappear, Vega decided to strike up another conversation. "Do you really believe that?"

"What?"

"That garbage you spouted before you took off after the Snitch." Vega murmured.

"Of course not. But it's good advice. You never know who could betray you." Lapis stated. "Not every one of us has an ideal little life like you, Potter."

"Yeah, my life's _brilliant_." Vega groused. "I'm looked down on, I'm frail, I have almost no magical talent, and... well, my life's not as great as people seem to think."

"And yet here you are, trying to prove yourself to someone you have absolutely no need to. Why would that be? If you don't want to be like your father, you're making a poor showing of it." Lapis said, an edge to his tone.

"Hey, it's one of the few things I'm good at. Not gonna let someone badmouth me when I know I at least have a _chance _of winning." Vega said. And, even as the last words were leaving his mouth, he saw it and took off in its direction.

Lapis swore this time. The Snitch had reappeared and this time, he was the one caught offguard by it. But he wasn't going to let Vega take it that easily. He would win by any means necessary. There were no Bludgers in play, so he was just going to have to fulfill that role himself. Grinning, he pushed his broom even faster to catch up with the tiny Slytherin, aiming to catch the back of Vega's Lightwing. At the speed they were going, it would be hard for _anyone _to recover.

The two connected just over the center of the pitch. Lapis tilted off to the right just in case Vega tried pulling up from the spin. The Lightwing hitched violently and whirled around in a downward spiral. Lapis didn't chance a look back to admire his efforts, focusing solely on the Snitch that he was closing in on. He tried not to pay attention as someone screamed from down below. A female voice, most likely the Malfoy girl, Lapis wasn't sure. Whatever had happened, he would find out after the Snitch was in his hand. The golden ball took off into the air, going almost straight up. Lapis had to sharply jerk back on his broom to angle up after it. And even then, he had to maintain a tight spiral just to keep up with the Snitch's own.

Lapis wasn't sure when the second broom came into view. He wasn't sure how his rival had managed to pull out of the seemingly inevitable crash. He wasn't even sure how the hell Vega was managing to keep in a perfect mirror of the spiral he was in. But there he was, doing just that. Their feet were just inches away from each other, they were flying so close together. Lapis chanced a brief glance 'down' at Vega, which would turn out to be a mistake.

Vega was focused solely on the Snitch, not paying any attention whatsoever to how dangerously close he was flying to Lapis. He was flattened out on his broom, one arm extended out towards the ball they were rapidly closing in on. But what really got to Lapis - and what would stay with him for some time after the fact - was the look on the Slytherin's face. Instead of the timid, nervous look that Vega seemed to always have going, now he just looked... crazy. His eyes were wide open and there was a grin splitting his face. A grin that looked completely out of place and one that looked all the eerier due to how his eyes looked.

And for just a split second, Lapis faltered. That was all it took. With a cackling laugh, Vega lurched forward, nearly launching himself up and off his broom, and grabbed the Snitch out of the air. And without even pausing for a moment, he pulled himself backwards into a loop, spinning back down toward the ground. Lapis evened out in the air and stared down at Vega as he retreated to the pitch, which was quite a ways down at that point.

Biting at his lip and trying to tell just what in the name of god he had witnessed, Lapis pushed his broom forward and shot down toward the ground as well. He watched as Vega landed, holding up the Snitch for a moment before delivering a low bow to Ian Danielson. The Malfoy twins came running up then, with Viola making violent gestures with her arms. As Lapis got closer to the ground, he could hear her yelling voice fill the air, though he wasn't paying much attention to it. Vega seemed to brush his friend off, however, and walked past the both of them, heading for the exit to the Slytherin changing rooms.

Lapis landed in front of him, blocking the way. Getting off of his broom, Lapis stormed over to the Slytherin and asked, in a forced whisper, "What the hell was that?"

Though the craziness had left his eyes, the grin Vega flashed him was the exact same. He didn't say anything as he stepped to the side and continued forward. Viola yelled after him, but he wouldn't stop. Lapis was about to go and forcefully stop him to make him answer his question, but he never got the chance. Ten feet away from reaching the door he was going to, Vega suddenly stumbled. He caught himself, but he was hunched over. He only wobbled once before collapsing to his knees, which then led to him falling over the rest of the way.

"H...hey!" Lapis cried, running over to him as the others on the Pitch called out as well. Dropping to his knees next to Vega, Lapis halted midway to check to see if he was alright. His eyes were tightly closed, and his breathing seemed to be labored. There was no blood visible, and no other noticeable signs that something was wrong. "Potter! Oi, Potter! What's wrong?!"

"Vega!"

Viola was the second person to reach Vega, kneeling and rolling him over onto his back. "Oh god, I _knew _it! It's happened again. Danielson, can you get him to Madam Pomfrey?!"

"What's going on? Does he have some kind of condition? He didn't say anything about--"

"I don't know!" Viola yelled. "This is only the second time I've seen it happen to him! He got that wild-eyed look on his face once before. He blacked out then, too. He... he was fine, but..."

"Viola." Hydrus said, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Calm down. We'll get Potter up to safety. He's better here than he was at our house. I'm sure he'll be alright, just like last time. Maybe Madam Pomfrey can figure out why that happens to him."

"I... y-yeah... thanks." Viola muttered, hanging her head. After a moment, she got up, assisted by her brother. "Come on. Let's go..."

Danielson nodded, aiming his wand at Vega and levitating him up. "Alright then. Let's go. Keep a watch on him, though. I've never done this for any length of time."

"I'm coming too." Lapis said, standing up. "If it's my fault this happened..."

"I doubt it." Hydrus said. "Though the last time was also during a fake bit of Quidditch. Perhaps that has something to do with it..." He frowned, thinking about it for a moment before continuing, "In any case, try not to blame yourself. Potter's father had a history of oddities. Wouldn't surprise me if something passed on that shouldn't have."

"That or he just keeps pushing himself too hard." Viola said, he voice barely audible. She was walking in front of Hydrus and Lapis, hugging herself. "He's always been tiny and kinda lousy at magic. But he always tries... maybe beyond what he should. I'm not blaming you, but... if this happened during _tryouts_..."

"I'll look for a replacement." Danielson said, his tone somber. "As much as I'd like to see him out there, if there's going to be some kind of complication in regards to his health, I won't have it. His well being's more important than my bet."

"Thanks..." Viola said.

Hydrus sped up slightly to walk beside Viola, leaving Lapis behind the pack. This was a lot to try and take in. He was still trying to process what had happened in the air, let alone what had happened afterwards. There was a knot twisting in his stomach, despite what the Malfoy boy had told him. Would Vega have had this... attack, or whatever it was, had they not been going so hard for the Snitch? If he hadn't knocked into Vega's broom, would that have prevented it from triggering? There was a lot that Lapis didn't understand about the situation. And if there was anything Lapis hated, it was being unable to find the answer to something. He didn't like the unknown.

And, when he thought about it, maybe that was the answer to the question that Vega had asked him.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Well, Vega beat his old man into the hospital. Twice within four chapters. Though to be fair, only one of times was for an actual problem. He just got slimed the first trip in. AND that one was voluntary. Not so much with this one. So what happened in the air? Who knows. Vega's the kid of two metamorphmagi, one of which was Harry. Who knows what oddities might pop in that kind of situation? Well, I do, but I like to try and lead everyone to incorrect conclusions.

I'm pestering a friend to do a picture of Vega and the twins. If and when she gets around to it, I'll post a link or something. Just to get a size comparison. Vega really is tiny. Hydrus is tall for his age, but Viola's about the average height for a girl her age. And Vega's a bit shorter than HER. So he's a tiny, tiny little thing. In anime nomenclature, he would be classified as an 'uke' archetype. Go look that up on your own dime. But there's a reason I'm saying that now. If you can figure out why, you'll get a cookie. This is gonna be such a fun series to write.

I decided that trying to play things normal was boring, so I would spice it up a bit. And by that, I mean this shit should have an opening theme by god damn JAM Project. That's the lengths I plan to take this to.

Until next time, folks.


	5. Heritage

"And so it begins." Madam Pomfrey said, under her breath, as the doors to the hospital opened and half of the Slytherin Quidditch team entered, one of whom was being floated along in the air by the captain. Striding across the room, she asked, "What happened?"

"Dunno." Danielson said, levitating Vega's body over to a bed and gently setting him down. "We were at tryouts and... well, these two know more than me..."

Stepping off to one side, he let Hydrus and Viola move forward. Viola went to the side of the bed that Madam Pomfrey hadn't taken up position at, putting a hand on Vega's shoulder. Hydrus glanced over at the matron. "We aren't sure what the problem is." He said. "This has only happened once before..."

As Madam Pomfrey gave Vega a once-over, Hydrus recounted both incidents involving Vega's sudden changes and subsequent blackouts. The mediwitch narrowed her eyes as she listened, suddenly doing a series of precise wand movements over Vega's chest. When Hydrus had finished, Madam Pomfrey let out a long, low sigh. Looking between the two Malfoys, she leveled her gaze at Hydrus when she replied.

"Well, I can definitely tell you that _something _is going on. I'm just not sure what. I'll be looking through his father's records, though. Something very familiar about this, and that's not a good thing." She said.

"Is... is it serious?" Asked Viola.

"I'm not sure." Madam Pomfrey stated. "If it's anything like what I believe it might be, there's a chance it could grow to be incredibly dangerous. I hope I'm wrong. I'll get ahold of the Potters later today, if possible. Perhaps one of them might be able to enlighten me on a few things."

"Can you tell us anything, or is it something that shouldn't be spoken about?" Asked Hydrus.

"Oh, there's something wrong with his magical core. Simple as that. His father had all sorts of 'issues' with his own. He really is his father's son in that regard, unfortunately. That all said, I'm not too terribly worried." Said Madam Pomfrey. Turning, she called out toward her office, "Gabrielle, would you bring me some Dreamless Sleep? And there's a small vial of blue liquid in the second drawer of my desk, I'll need that, as well!"

"You going to tell me what the blue stuff _is_, finally?" Came Gabrielle's voice from the other room.

"Against my better judgement." Madam Pomfrey said.

The younger mediwitch came walking out of the office a moment later, two small bottles in her hands. "Didn't mean to overhear, but it was kind of hard with the door open. Usually you're bothered by stuff you can't explain. Why aren't you worried about him?"

"The Potters have strong blood. If I'm right, Mr. Potter here will wake up in a day or two, acting as though nothing had ever happened." Madam Pomfrey said, taking the smaller of the two bottles from her assistant. With Viola's help, she got Vega sitting upright enough to pour the contents into his mouth. The Dreamless Sleep quickly followed and, after she was sure he had swallowed the both of them without incident, she laid him down and covered him up. "But I would like you to keep an eye on him, Gabrielle. Strong though he indeed was, Harry managed to surprise me on occasion. I've no doubt his son will do the same. If _anything _out of the ordinary happens, come get me. I don't care where I am or what _time _it is. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am." Gabrielle said. Watching as Madam Pomfrey headed back toward the office to call up the Potters, she turned toward the students. "Alright, you lot. We'll let you know how he's doing. And you can come by after meals to visit if you want, okay? Try not to worry too much. If Poppy's acting like that, it can't be anything too bad. Since it's still fairly early into the year, not many have had a reason to come here yet. To be honest, it'll be a nice break from brewing things for St. Mungo's. The burn victims seem to finally be healing up, but any little bit helps."

"You heard the lady." Danielson said. "Let's get out of here and let him get some rest."

"Come on." Hydrus said, helping a still-shaky Viola to her feet. "He'll be fine. Just like last time. He'll probably come out of it looking for the better, too."

"I hope so..." Viola said, hugging herself again. "He's just so..."

"Yeah. I know. But sitting here worrying won't help anyone. It wouldn't do any good if you made yourself sick." Hydrus said, his hand moving to rub his twin's back as the Slytherins started back toward the doors. "Let's go study something. It'll help get our minds off of things."

Viola nodded, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. "Alright... we'll come back up to check in on him after dinner tonight."

"Of course."

Danielson was the last of the Slytherin team out, and closed the door behind him after casting one final glance toward the bed Vega was in. Gabrielle was still standing next to it, running a few scans of Vega for herself. Shaking her head, she murmured, "Damnedest thing I've seen in a long time. ...So, you gonna need to be chased out?"

She looked up at Lapis, who was still standing on the other side of the bed. He looked frustrated, though even he wasn't sure why. Without looking at the nurse, he replied, "No, I'll go. Let me know if anything happens. It's my fault this occurred, no matter what they might try to tell me. If I hadn't asked him to race, this wouldn't have happened."

"Never know." Gabrielle said, tucking her wand away. "He was going to try out for the team anyway, right? That means he would've gotten in the air, regardless of if you were there or not. Chances are, their captain would've figured out someone to fly with him. Could've happened then, too."

"I... suppose it might have. But..." Lapis said, biting his lower lip.

"Look, I know you're worried. But leave it to us, alright? He's in good hands here. Stop on by tonight if you'd like. Looks like the others might show up, too." Gabrielle said.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Lapis shook his head. "I don't think that would be wise. It doesn't matter if everyone else tells me it wasn't my fault. Unless Potter says it for himself, I'd rather not be here to see him wake. If he feels like seeking me out afterward, that's his business."

Gabrielle studied Lapis for a moment. "Don't tell me you're..."

"Blaming myself still? Of course." Lapis said, turning and heading for the door finally.

As he opened it and slipped out of the hospital, Gabrielle frowned. "That wasn't what I was going to say."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Poppy? Haven't talked to you in awhile, what's up?"

"It's your son." Said Madam Pomfrey, staring into her fire at Tonks' head. "He seems to be following in his father's footsteps."

There was a pause as Tonks put together what the matron was saying. "Oh god, is he okay? What happened to him?"

"That's a very good question. The Malfoy twins say this has happened before, though. As I'm to understand, Quidditch tryouts for Slytherin were this morning. Apparently something happened out there. Nymph--"

"_Tonks_."

Rolling her eyes, Madam Pomfrey continued, "Will you ever get over that? Why not just get your name changed if it _bothers _you so much?"

Tonks glanced off to one side and mumbled something under her breath. Shaking her head, she sighed and looked back up at Madam Pomfrey. "So he blacked out on his broom? Did he break anything, Poppy?"

"No... in fact, he seemed to have quite a spectacular showing. But yes, he did pass out. It was once he was back on solid ground. Listen to me, Tonks. Is Harry around?" Asked Madam Pomfrey.

"No. He's out helping Wolf's men right now..." Tonks said. "Why?"

"I don't want to alarm you, because it could turn out to be nothing. But I do think you should be aware that something's not right about Vega's magical core. I've only ever seen this once before, and that was with Harry. Now what that _means_, I'm not sure yet. It could mean there's a second personality lying dormant somewhere within him, it could just be an oddity passed down from Harry. I'll run some more tests on him... and I'm quite sure he'll be in here as much as his father was. But until I know more, that's as much as I can tell you, Tonks. His body is exhausted from the exertion. I'm not sure someone as small as him should be pushing himself to that extent. He's got all of his potential teammates nervous. Miss Malfoy in particular seems worried about him. But by all rights, there's nothing wrong with him, oddity with his core aside."

Another sigh, and then, "Great. Hopefully, at the very least, he won't have any problems with wild magic. That's all we need - a repeat of Harry and the Gauntlet." Tonks said, closing her eyes for a moment. "Well, I want you to get ahold of me when he wakes up, Poppy. Let me know if anything else happens, no matter how small, alright? I had a feeling he might run into some troubles at school, but I didn't think it would be like this. Poor dear, he's already written me a few times. He thinks he isn't good at almost anything. I keep trying to tell him that _no one's_ really good at anything their first year. He takes after Harry in regards to Quidditch, though. Not sure Harry knows that I know, but he spirits him off occasionally to teach him things about flying and the sport. Drives me up the wall, it does. I just hope Vega didn't think he had to prove anything to himself."

"Well, whatever the case, I'll be surprised if he isn't up and about by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. And yes, I'll let you know as soon as I dismiss him, alright? When Harry gets home, tell him what I've told you, alright? If he has any idea what might be going on with his son's magical core, either have him call or just send him over. I know he can get here quickly if he wants." Said Madam Pomfrey. "Anyway, I really do need to get back to minding my cauldrons, Tonks. St. Mungo's has every apothecary and medical team in the area busy right now..."

"I know. Harry's frustrated that he and the Aurors aren't getting anywhere in regards to the attacks. They're out all day and sometimes well into the night. Good luck, Poppy. And don't forget to take some time to rest. Have to keep reminding Harry to do just that sometimes..." Tonks said.

"I know my limits, I dare say." Madam Pomfrey said, smirking crookedly. "Well then, good day to you, Tonks."

"And you, Poppy."

With that, Tonks' head vanished from the flames. Madam Pomfrey leaned back in her chair, sighing quietly. Glancing at her desk, where Vega's records were spread, she narrowed her eyes. "I know _my _limits. Time will tell us if your son knows _his_..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Nng... what hit me?"

Vega whimpered as he tried opening his eyes. He knew perfectly well that no one was just standing there, shining a flood light in his eyes, but that's what it seemed like. His head felt like someone had tried cracking it open with a mallet, and his entire back was sore. Sitting up slightly, and keeping his eyes closed, he tried recalling what happened. He had been at breakfast, then he had gone to the Pitch with his friends, and...

"Ah, hell." He muttered, eyes cracking open just slightly. "I knew it..."

"Feeling alright?" Came a gentle voice from next to him.

Not expecting someone to be right there, Vega jumped, jerking his head around and opening his eyes fully to see who it was. These were both terrible ideas, as his neck gave an unhappy '**_crack_**' and the light only made his head pound even worse. Squinting again, he turned to glare weakly at Gabrielle Delacour, who looked far too amused for her own good. "Well, I can jolly well say I'm good and _AWAKE _now, thanks..."

"I'm here to serve." Gabrielle said, smirking. "No, really, are you feeling alright? C'mon, lay back down and let me give you a once-over, alright? Poppy'd have a fit if I didn't. She's had me keeping an eye on you whenever I had any free time. Not that I mind - it was a good break from minding the cauldrons. Glad that's over with."

Laying back, Vega winced slightly as Gabrielle's wand poked his chest a few times. "Not sure I understood half of that."

"Hm? Oh, right, right. Well, we finally finished our supply for St. Mungo's early this morning. Told Poppy she should go rest. Don't tell her I said so, but a woman her age has no business running around acting like she was still youthful. Damn smart, mind, but sometimes doesn't keep track of her own health."

"I've... how long have I been asleep?" Asked Vega, opening his eyes again and trying to make them acclimate to the light.

"Couple days. It's the third of October right now, about... an hour or so from dinner, I believe." Gabrielle said, setting her wand up against one of Vega's temples. It gave off a dull, glowing pulse for a few moments. "...Well, just like she said. You seem to be alright, physically."

"Could do with something to eat. And drink." Vega said. "Am I going to need to wait for Madam Pomfrey to wake up to be released?"

"Nah. She said if I couldn't find anything wrong with you, I should go ahead and let you go. If you can walk, anyway. May feel a touch wobbly for a bit. After-effects of the potions we had you on while you were out." Said Gabrielle, tucking her wand away and smiling down at him. "Your clothes are on the chair on the other side of the bed. I'll duck out and let you get changed, alright?"

Vega nodded and Gabrielle pulled the curtains around the bed. Tugging back the covers, Vega swung his legs over the side of the bed. And, after a stretch that seemed to make twenty separate places in his back pop all at once, he hopped down. Shifting his weight around for a moment to ensure he wouldn't topple over the minute he tried pulling his pants on, Vega began to change into his robes. As he finished up, trying to make his messy, blond hair stay down, he called out that he was decent again.

Gabrielle pulled the curtains open again and asked, "Not shaky at all?"

Vega shook his head. "Not so far. I think I can make it downstairs."

"Alright. But take it slowly, okay? Don't want to take a tumble and end up back in here with a broken leg or something, yeah?"

"Yeah... gonna have to remember to glare at dad. Seems like I inherited his bad luck." Vega muttered, his lower lip jutting out slightly.

"Aww. Go on, get outta here before I end up hugging you to death!" Gabrielle said, grinning. "And if Viola Malfoy tries to latch onto you when she sees you, just sidestep. Don't need to crack your head on anything, either, and she seems the type."

"Too many dangerous things to watch out for. Glad you startled me awake or I might have ended up getting hurt." Vega said, rolling his eyes as he turned and headed for the doors.

"Seeya around!" Gabrielle called after him.

"Not if I can help it!" Vega called back, smirking over his shoulder. As he slipped out into the hallway, he tilted his head one way, then the other, grimacing as his neck popped. "Oww..."

It was close enough to supper time that he figured he'd take it easy. He plotted a course for the Great Hall and started walking. When he reached the stairs, he warily stared at them as they shifted about time and again. Knowing better than to trust the handrails for support, he placed one hand on the wall and began to descend. He still hadn't memorized which steps and segments had their own quirks yet, and he really didn't want to end up back in the hospital. He had already missed a few days of classes. Because that was exactly what he needed - falling even farther behind everyone else!

As he reached a landing, he swore quietly under his breath and ducked around a corner. Peeves the poltergeist was flying in a straight line up the center of the stairs, letting out an ear-piercing squeal as he went. Vega waited a minute, then slowly peered around, looking up, then down, and not seeing the poltergeist in either direction. But he was sure Peeves was still somewhere nearby. And he was in no mood to be assaulted by the poltergeist. Sighing, he muttered, "Maybe I should take dad's advice about that room after all..."

"What room?" Came a voice from behind him.

Letting out a surprised yelp, Vega whirled around, reaching for his wand. He stopped midway to it when he saw who it was. Closing his eyes, he blew out a low breath before glaring. "And hello to you too, Eskander. Can I _help _you?"

Lapis Eskander, along with a pair of first year girls, was standing in the corridor, looking slightly confused. "Merely asking a question. Why were you doing that, by the way?"

"Peeves." Said Vega, scowling. "What are you doing here?"

"We were heading down to the Great Hall." Lapis said, nodding back at the girls. "Can't believe I'm asking this, but do you want to tag along? If Peeves does show up, he at least won't be able to get all four of us at once."

"Not sure I should. Gabrielle didn't tell me much about what happened." Vega said, eyeing Lapis cautiously. "I'd ask you, but again - dunno if I can believe what you say."

"...Say what you will, Potter. I've got nothing to hide. You beat me to the Snitch, landed, and keeled over. Danielson floated you up to the hospital wing. You slept a few days. And now here you are. Anything else you'd like to know?" Lapis asked, arms crossing.

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Asked Vega, scowling.

"Lapis was in a good mood until we ran into _you_." Said one of the girls, looking annoyed that they had been halted for so long.

"And you two would be?" Asked Vega.

"Valerie Carmichael." Said the girl. She was the same height as Lapis and had cropped, brown hair. Her dark eyes were still glaring in Vega's direction. "And this is Sam."

"Samantha, thank you." Replied the other girl, dryly. "You don't like me calling you 'Val.' So cut it out already!"

Giving Samantha a withering glance, Valerie turned back to Vega. "So now we all know who everyone else is, can we please get downstairs now?"

"Yeah. Peeves may end up finding us if we keep this racket up." Samantha said, glancing around.

"Well, Potter? Joining us, or going it alone?" Asked Lapis.

"...Oh, fine. But if any of you try anything..." Vega began.

"Stop being paranoid, shrimp!" Valerie barked, striding past the group and heading for the stairs down. "No one's going to be trying anyth--"

She was interrupted as a large water bomb connected to the side of her head and exploded, drenching her in ice cold water. She let out a cry and instantly about-faced, rushing back behind Lapis.

"Except him." Samantha said, cocking an eyebrow as she looked up at Peeves, who was floating, just visible, up a few flights of stairs.

"Feeling up to a good run, Potter?" Lapis asked, giving a tired look at Vega.

Vega paused, looking between Peeves, who had another large water bomb ready and waiting to be thrown, and Lapis. Behind Lapis, Samantha was helping Valerie dry herself off. Weighing his options, he gave a weak nod. "Lesser of two evils. Right. Any bright ideas?"

"Not running in a group. No sense in all of us being doused." Lapis said.

"Again!" Cried Valerie, shaking her head and causing water to fly about.

"Again." Repeated Lapis. "I'll go first, the girls will come after me, and you'll bring up the rear, Potter."

"Why do I have to be in the back?!" Asked Vega.

"You two are tasked with defending us maidens from the black knight up there." Samantha said, her tone dry once more. "Let's see how good you two can think on your feet."

"Why am I being dragged into this?" Lapis asked, rounding on his friends. "All I said was that we were making a break for it."

"Not a very friendly thing to do." Commented Samantha. "That's all."

"Those things are freezing!" Valerie stated, glaring at Lapis. "We'll mind the stairs so you two can mind _that _idiot!"

Sighing under his breath, Lapis glanced aside at Vega. "You heard the ladies, Potter. We've been put to task. Shall we, then?"

"If we must." Muttered Vega, his headache feeling like it was trying to kick his left eye out of his head. "I just want to get downstairs and eat."

"Yeah, what _he _said!" Valerie agreed.

"Wands out then, all." Lapis said. Taking a step forward, he peered around the corner and quickly ducked back. Seconds later, another water bomb, poorly aimed, splashed the ground nearby. "Where the hell did he even _get _them? Okay, in three, two... **GO**!"

Lapis darted out from around the corner, taking the next staircase in a few large bounds. Valerie and Samantha went after him, descending slower but still keeping a brisk pace. Vega followed the girls, taking a potshot at the poltergeist's backside as he tried getting a bead on Lapis. This caused him to cry out something Vega was sure he would get a month's detentions for repeating, and made him drop a good many of his water bombs.

"Oh crap - _UP AGAINST THE WALLS_!" Vega hollered, flattening himself back as one of the dropped water bombs splashed the edge of the stairs he was on. Valerie let out a shrill squeal as her legs got doused in icy water for a second time. Samantha had jumped back from her friend seconds before it exploded and managed to escape unscathed. Lapis, however, wasn't as lucky, and had one of them drop squarely on his head. He let out a girlish cry at this and bit out a string of words that Vega couldn't understand.

"Go, go!" Samantha called out. "Before he recovers!"

Lapis, looking as murderous as a soaking wet eleven year old could look, began running again. He tried drying his robes off as he went, leaving Vega to try and keep Peeves busy. Peeves didn't need any coaxing, as he knew quite well who had zapped him. If Vega had been just slightly taller, or slightly slower, he would have ended up in worse shape than either Valerie or Lapis. A bit of water on his sleeves and shoes aside, he was faring rather well, however.

When they reached the Entrance Hall, they made a dead sprint towards the double doors leading into the Great Hall. Peeves was still giving chase and still howling in irritation, water bombs flying at an alarming rate now. The poltergeist knew that the Great Hall was off limits. He wasn't physically capable of getting into it. Lapis and Samantha hit the doors and opened them as fast as they could, stepping inside as Valerie and Vega came rushing in. Together, the four threw the doors shut again. The sound of at least a dozen water bombs splashing against the other side filled the air, followed by Peeves letting out a defeated whine.

"Well..." Vega said, panting heavily, "That was an event..."

"Yes." Lapis said, taking time to properly dry himself off. "It certainly was. Can we try not to ever go through that again?"

"I'd be happy with that. Why the headmistress doesn't just banish him is beyond me. She likes him about as much as _we _do." Valerie said, sighing as she sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table. Sliding a shoe off to pour the water out of it, she scowled. "Just shove him down in the dungeons or something."

"Try it and we'll figure out a way to stick him in your tower." Vega said. "It's cold enough down there, we don't need _help_."

"Looks like we've provided the first bit of the evening's entertainment." Samantha said, sitting opposite Valerie. "Look."

The group turned their attention to the front of the room. A few members of staff had gathered already and had been talking amongst themselves when Vega's group came charging in suddenly. Most of them looked highly amused. Professor Flitwick was trying to bite back an outright laugh, but he wasn't doing too good a job of it.

"Fantastic." Lapis muttered darkly. "Oi, Potter. Was meaning to ask - could I have a word after dinner?"

"About what?" Asked Vega, heading for the Slytherin table.

"What happened out there on the Pitch."

"...Alright." Vega said, slowly. "I think I can drop the paranoia for now."

Lapis nodded and went to sit. Vega tilted his head to one side. There was an odd look in the other Seeker's eyes. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Shrugging to himself, he sat at the end of his House's table and started to dry off the bits of his clothing that had been splashed. This was, decidedly, not how he had planned on spending his time after waking up from what appeared to have been a mini-coma.

Bit by bit, students began filtering into the Great Hall, some dripping wet. It seemed as though Peeves had gone on something of a water bomb rampage after having been unable to drench his original targets. Vega had his arms crossed on the table, his head down and his eyes closed. He had never wanted aspirin so badly in his life. And the noise in the area wasn't helping one bit. Finally, he heard a sharp cry that he had been waiting for. Sighing inaudibly, he lifted his head just in time for Viola to throw her arms around him.

"You're up! Why didn't you come tell us?!" She asked, her voice a few pitches higher than it should have been.

"Not so loud, Vivi, please?" Vega muttered, wincing. "I've got the worst headache right now... and I wasn't sure where you were. Figured it best to just wait here."

"Sorry..." Viola said, biting her lower lip. Letting go of her friend, she sat next to him as her twin brother sat opposite. "Are you alright?"

"Best as the hospital staff can tell." Vega said. "Kinda feel like sleeping again, though. Between escaping Peeves and all of this noise..."

"Ah, is that why he was going berserk?" Hydrus asked. "He was yelling something about 'ickle firsties' or somesuch nonsense."

"Met Eskander and his friends on the way down. Had to make a break for it together." Explained Vega, nodding over to the trio of Ravenclaws. "...Guys, if it's all the same to you, I think I may go and lay down. I really don't feel good..."

"Are you sure? You haven't eaten yet..." Viola said, sounding worried.

"I'll be alright. I'd rather get some sleep first, though. Wanna get somewhere with little light in it. It's too blasted bright out here..." Said Vega, closing his eyes for a few seconds before standing.

"Will you be alright on your own?" Hydrus asked. "We can help you get back to the dungeons if you'd like."

"No, no, I'll be able to get there..." Vega said, his cheeks lighting up faintly. Glancing away, he added, "I feel strong enough, I just want to get somewhere peaceful. I'll see you two later tonight, alright?"

"If you're sure, then." Hydrus said, slowly. "Be careful, though. Peeves might still be waiting out there somewhere."

Smirking weakly, Vega replied, "My legs still work. I've had more than enough time to catch my breath. Being small finally came in handy for something, at least."

Waving as he headed for the doors, Vega opened one and peeked out. He wanted to make sure an ice cold balloon filled with water wasn't going to come flying at him. When he was sure it was safe, he slipped out of the Great Hall and started walking. He wasn't, however, heading for the dungeons. But just as he reached the staircase, he heard a voice calling his name from behind. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Lapis running over to him.

"...Oh, right. Sorry. Headache's making me lose track of things." Vega said, frowning. "What'd you want to talk about, then?"

"It's about what happened." Lapis said, crossing his arms and giving Vega a strange look. After a moment, however, he seemed to grow nervous. "If I hadn't pushed you like that..."

Vega blinked. "What?"

"The Malfoys told me that something like that happened once before. Had I known, I wouldn't have pushed you that hard." Lapis said. Looking frustrated, he turned away, hands sliding into his pockets. "The reason you've been unconscious for so many days..."

"...Is because I'm thick and felt like I had to show off." Vega finished. "Is that what this is about, you blaming yourself for what happened? Look, I'm _FINE_. Whatever the heck that is, it doesn't _hurt _me."

"It could have. It easily could have." Lapis said, shaking his head slowly. "Had you blacked out in the air, with as high up as we were at the end..."

"Then Madam Hooch would have slowed me to a halt before I made a crater." Vega said, putting a hand on his hip. "Eskander, are you feeling alright?"

"Huh?" Lapis turned around and stared at Vega strangely. "Of course I am. Why do you ask?"

"You're acting odd." Vega stated, brow creased. "This isn't how you acted around me _before _the accident."

"Yes, well, I was taught a few things that day." Lapis said, sounding bitter. "At the very least, I now know you're the real deal in regards to Quidditch..."

"For all _that _matters." Vega scoffed. "Not going to become a second year here by being good at ruddy _Quidditch_."

"Nothing to do about that except train. Incidentally, where are you headed? The dungeons are not upstairs, Potter." Lapis said, fixing Vega with a pointed look now.

"Uh... was going to head to the library." Vega said, thinking quickly. "Even if it's crowded there, it's quiet. I just need a place where I can nurse this headache away. If it doesn't get better by evening, I'll ask Professor Sinistra if she can get me some aspirin or something. Stupid magical medicine. What good is it if it can't solve a _headache_, of all things?"

Lapis surveyed Vega for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Alright. I'll buy that for now. One more thing, though."

"What?"

"Are you still planning on being Slytherin's Seeker?" Asked Lapis.

"I'd like to try. I just have to reign it in and get better so that stuff like that doesn't happen anymore." Vega said. Then, grinning slyly all of a sudden, he continued, "What's wrong, Eskander? Are you going to be unable to fly against me when the time comes? Scared it might happen again?"

Lapis spluttered for a moment before glaring at Vega. "Scared? Of _you_? Get real, Potter. You're too tiny to play Seeker! Even if you get to the Snitch first, it isn't going to help your pathetic reach out! What are you going to do, magically extend your arms to grab it?"

Rolling his eyes, Vega turned and started back up the stairs. "Oh, shut up, Eskander. Go back into the Great Hall before I find Peeves and sic him on you."

Lapis smirked until Vega had gone out of sight. The smirk then faded, replaced by a frown. Shaking his head, he headed toward the Great Hall again. "I'm scared, Potter. But not for those reasons..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Let's recap. Vega's apparently prone to extended stays in the hospital, something's up with his core, Vega's going somewhere that isn't the Slytherin common room, and Lapis is acting strange! Now figure out what all of that means!

Go on, I'll wait!

...Oh, fine, don't then. I guess I haven't gotten far enough in for it to make any sense yet, have I? Guess that means you'll have to keep reading if you want to find the answers out, huh? Speaking of, I've completely broken the chapter guide I jotted up! Yup, already! HOWEVER, I think I can knock it back in line perfectly next chapter! Because the next chapter is slated to be our first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson! Or at least, the first one that you'll be seeing about.

And before anyone asks... the pattern will continue. At least for a little while. Something is going on with the DADA class, but what might it be? And who will be the one to actually figure it out?

That one, my friends, will be something you won't find out until book 3.

Post edit edit: Sorry this one took so long. It's been done for ages, I'm just a colossal layabout! I'll try and be better with the updates. Only five so far is pretty embarrassing a schedule.


	6. The Dark Arts

He had been staring at the old, arched doorway for some time now, trying to decide if he really wanted to go in or not. It had taken a bit to even find the place. He had wandered around the first floor for some time before figuring out where the false wall had been. With the Repelling Charms long since dispelled, it had proven a bit difficult. He was going off of memory, and his mind was still cloudy. His pounding headache was still lingering, as well, which certainly wasn't helping matters any.

The portrait on the doorway moved occasionally, but it hadn't tried talking to him. Or, at least, he didn't think it had. It was always so hard to tell with snakes. Blowing out a weak sigh, his head made the decision for him. He could barely keep his eyes open. Even the dull light in the entrance to the Snake Pit was hurting.

"Cryoseism." He whispered, looking at the ouroboros on the door.

The little snake, named Leviathan by his father, let out a lazy hiss. The door creaked for a moment, then opened inward. Vega winced as the light from the fire on the far side of the room hit his eyes, immediately wondering why it was even lit. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him and glanced around. The Pit was as his father had said it would be - just the same as when he had left Hogwarts. Vega walked around, familiarising himself with the five rooms, before stopping to look at the bookcases.

His father had warned him to stay away from the ones on the blue bookcase. The books on the brown one were more casual reading material. The books held on the blue shelves contained Dark Arts tomes and other such things his father didn't want him looking through. At least, he figured, not at eleven years of age. The quarters were all very neatly kept, containing no dust whatsoever. Vega assumed that this, along with the lit fire, meant that the house elf his father had brought up had been taking care of the place.

Harry had warned him of Dobby, telling him that unless he had plenty of time and energy, it would be best to not introduce himself right away. As Vega walked over to the soft-looking couch, he thought that was a wise decision. He really didn't feel like talking much. He already had too much on his mind. He paused before sitting down, however, glancing back toward the door to the bedroom. He still had a bit of time before his first real Defense Against the Dark Arts class took place. He could take a nap and be up in time. He knew a potent waking spell his mother had passed on to him... and often liked to _use _on him when he tried sleeping in on holidays.

As he stepped toward the bedroom, he paused again. Frowning, he glanced over his shoulder. There was no one in the room, but he had the distinct impression that he was being watched. His eyes darted up to the hole in the ceiling, where a small beholder once took up residence. But there was nothing there. Nothing that he could see, at any rate. Shaking his head, he chalked it up to his headache and headed into the bedroom. He didn't see any reason to close the door, as no one he knew had any idea where the Pit was. Kicking off his shoes, he sat on the edge of the bed. Almost at once, a sense of profound sleepiness washed over him, making his eyelids incredibly heavy.

"This sucks," he muttered, scooting back to lay down on the bed properly. Because although he was feeling tired again, his head was still pounding. And now that he was laying down, he could feel the dizziness he had been trying to ignore. Grabbing at one of the pillows his head wasn't laying on, he hugged it and buried his face against it. "This really sucks..."

He shifted a little, drawing his wand, and muttered the familiar incantation while aiming at himself. He squeezed his eyes closed as the bright orange light hit him in the face. And, once he was sure he had done the spell correctly, he rolled over to put his wand on the nearest nightstand. Rolling back, he clutched at the spare pillow once more, curling up against it and shutting his eyes.

And there, by himself in the Pit's bedroom, with the only sound being the gentle crackling of the fire one room over, Vega finally let himself slip into unconsciousness.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

It was with a low whine that he was awakened, the sounds of an alarm clock going off in his ears. It would persist until he sat upright, but he was so comfortable that he didn't want to move. Finally, with a decidedly foul curse, he sat up. His headache had subsided at some point, for which he was grateful. And he knew that his first Defense class would be underway within the hour. He had a good fifteen minutes to get ready and make it there, and he had a feeling it would take the entirety of that time to do so.

Letting go of the pillow he had apparently remained attached to, he went and grabbed his wand, pocketing it as he forced himself to leave the comfortable bed. Slipping his shoes back on, he left the bedroom and, before making his way out of the Pit, looked around the main room once more. It still didn't feel like he was alone, and he still wasn't sure why. He walked over until he was under the hole in the ceiling. Lighting up his wand, he stretched and held it over his head. But it did little to illuminate the tunnels the beholder had made. Even if something was up there, it was probably capable of ducking back into a side path or chamber to keep from being seen. He needed to figure out how to inspect the thing better. Just in case.

When he left the room, he called out, "I'll probably be back later, Levi."

The little snake on the door hissed softly at him, and he smirked. Hopping up the short flight of stairs, he cautiously poked his head out through the fake wall. Harry had told him it was rare for anyone to be in that particular corridor, but he still wanted to be extra careful. Not that he assumed anyone who did make it through could figure out the password Harry had set on the door before leaving the school. Putting his hands in his pockets, he set off towards the Defense classroom. He didn't have a terribly long walk ahead of him, but he also wasn't really feeling like talking to anyone just yet. His father had been right. The Pit was cathartic in a way he couldn't quite place. He felt far better than he had going in. And whether that was due to his nap or whether the Pit had some kind of charm on it that calmed its residents was beyond his guessing. But he was more apt to blame the nap, since he was still generally feeling apathetic for no explainable reason.

Still, he was looking forward to Defense. His father was famous for the things he had done and invented. When the time rift had opened, and Harry quite literally had to do something about himself to fix things, he had invoked a type of defensive magic that no one really understood. Harry himself still only had vague memories of the event. He often lost himself in thought, trying to work out what it was that had been changed due to the intervention. And he always came away from these sessions saying that it felt like the answer was just there, out of range but within view. Vega never quite understood it. He only knew that some extreme form of time travel was involved and that his father had cleansed himself of the madness that the Gauntlet of the Magi had had on him. Or rather, 'the other him' had. Whatever the heck that meant.

Time travel, Harry had told him once, hurt his head. Vega, after trying to work out what his father had been talking about, quite agreed.

Stepping into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, he found the twins already seated. He walked over and sat at the desk just behind them. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Viola said. "Where'd you disappear to, then? We went looking for you, but you weren't anywhere we checked."

"S'a secret." Vega said, smiling wanly.

"It's a secret?" Hydrus repeated, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You realize we can always ask our parents if this has something to do with a hidden chamber or something. Which it must be, since we checked everywhere we thought you _might _be..."

Vega blushed, scowling a little. "Oh, be quiet, Hyde. Was just taking a nap is all. Headache's gone, by the way."

"What'd Eskander talk to you about? He got up right after you did, but he never came back." Viola said.

"Hm? Oh... he just felt guilty, I guess. He was blaming himself for my blackout. I told him not to worry and that he certainly couldn't have predicted something like that happening, but he didn't look too convinced." Vega said, frowning slightly.

"Have you decided one way or the other on what you're going to do?" Hydrus asked.

"Do?" Vega said, blinking.

"About Quidditch."

"Oh. ...I think I'm still going to be Seeker, if Danielson'll let me. It felt good up there. Just need to be careful. I can't get mad or push myself. I think that might be what triggers... whatever that was." Vega said, looking thoughtful. "We'll see how it goes. If I black out again, I'll step down. But I want to at least give it a proper try."

"That's the spirit!" Viola cheered. "I'm a shoe-in for Chaser and Hydrus is the reserve Keeper for now, so technically we all made it!"

"Technically." Said Hydrus, dryly. "But I'm patient. I can wait until I get a proper chance to play my part."

"Professor Tadyggbo show up yet?" Asked Vega.

"Not yet." Viola said, looking toward the door at one end of the front of the class. "He's still in the back... no noises or anything. Which I hope is a good sign."

"What kind of noises did you think you think you were going to hear?" Asked Hydrus, frowning at his sister.

"Well... I dunno. He might have had a manticore." Viola said, lower lip jutting out slightly.

Vega snorted. "A manticore? Doing a right good job keeping it quiet, then, isn't he?"

"Oh, shut up." Sulked Viola, turning back around in her seat as the door in the back of the room opened.

Through it stepped a middle-aged man with slightly greying hair. He had a good many facial lines, but held a jovial look on his face. He had a slight gut on him, and when he spoke, it was in a soft, yet deep accent. "Well then, good afternoon, everyone. I hope you're all still awake enough after eating your fill earlier to focus on what we'll be doing today. If not, don't worry, it's mostly a summary of what I'll be trying to accomplish with you this term. Now generally, I like to try and make my students feel welcome, so I tend to tell them a bit about myself before launching into work."

Walking over to stand behind his desk, he surveyed his class and smiled, turning toward the blackboard behind him. A piece of chalk levitated up and started writing his name out. "Now then, first thing's first! My name is Gareth Tadyggbo, and I hail from down in Penarth. You can blame my father for our rather odd last name. But to be fair, before he went and changed it to what it is now, our main family's surname was Gittinus. And he was rather sick of bein' called "that old Git" by his coworkers. When I was younger, I worked at a primary school back home. When Minerva called and asked if I'd like to fill in the seemingly-cursed Defense position, I told her I'd be glad to. Despite my position, I'm not that big on old curses. And I've worked here for quite awhile now, to no ill effects! So I suppose that one didn't hold as much water as some people thought.

"As for your lessons this year, we'll be starting off with the basics and working up from there. And by 'basics,' I mean we'll begin by going over some of the less dangerous spells and creatures you might run across in your life. Plenty of time in your later years to be dealing with Unforgiveables and chimaeras, after all! You won't have any work for today, so there's no need to have parchment or anything with you. So go ahead and put those away, for the few who've prepared ahead of time. It's getting towards evening, it is, and if I load you down with too much, you'll fall asleep on the way back to your common room. Right! Any questions so far?"

One of the other Slytherin first years raised her hand. When Tadyggbo nodded at her, she asked, "What are we going to be studying first?"

"Well, I wanted something at least _mildly _interesting, so I decided we'd go over kappas first. Lot of nice history behind them, you know. Very simple creatures, and normally very docile and sometimes even friendly. So long as you don't antagonize them or steal their food, anyway. I've heard plenty of horror stories about children being spirited away and devoured by them. I'll be bringing one in that's agreed to help out, actually. An old friend of mine from back home ran across it by chance not long ago. I must say, it's a bit far from home, though they have been spreading out from their native Japan for awhile now. Was completely unaware they'd gotten this far! Unexpected, but quite fortunate! The kitchen staff has been keeping it well fed, and it seems to have made friends with the giant squid out in the lake, if you can believe that. The merpeople don't seem to mind it so much, either, though they keep their guard up when they know it's swimming about." Tadyggbo explained, sitting down at his desk. "So that's the first bit we'll be going over. After that, I'd like to vary it up and teach some beginner's wandwork and actual defensive spells and the like. I don't believe in focusing on just spellcraft or just creature studies. Keeping it mixed up keeps us all from growing too tired of doing the same thing all the time. Anyone else?"

More hands raised, with Tadyggbo answering at length with as many as he could for the duration of the class. It told a good deal that it was a good seven minutes after the bell has sounded that the first year Slytherins started trickling out of the class, talking excitedly about what they would be learning about. Vega was feeling it, as well, and the strange mood he had been in earlier in the day was all but gone now.

"I like him." Said Vega, as he and the twins walked back toward the Slytherin common room. "Seems really nice."

"I'm just glad we won't be working on one thing for a month on end. And I think if you let him, he'd probably talk that long." Viola said.

"Yeah, he's a bit long-winded." Vega agreed. "But at least he knows what he's talking about. You remember our parents talking about this class? They had like one or two guys who knew their stuff and the rest were idiots. To be honest, I'm kind of glad he over-explains things. Hell, even I can understand the theory behind things at the rate he talks. Just hope he can manage to make everything stay interesting."

"He's no Binns." Hydrus stated. "And as long as he doesn't sink to that level, I'm sure he'll be fine."

Viola grinned at Hydrus. "I'm going to keep track, you know."

"Of what?" Asked Hydrus.

"How many times you fall asleep in his class." Viola said.

Hydrus scowled, looking off. "It was early in the morning, I was late from the blasted stairs getting in my way, and he speaks in such a monotone voice, I couldn't help it..."

"Aww, look at him, Vega, he's embarrassed! I think I've finally found a weak spot in his armor!" Viola exclaimed, giggling.

"You've found nothing." Hydrus grumbled, crossing his arms and speeding up his walk to get in front of the other two.

Viola nudged Vega once Hydrus couldn't see them, and the two smiled. And, as they reached the wall leading to the common room, Viola innocently said, "I'm just saying, if you want me to bring a pillow next time, I can! Maybe a blanket, a cup of warm milk, your favorite stuffed animal from when we were litt--"

"_I get the point_!" Hydrus said in a loud enough voice to drown his sister's out. "Now would you please cut that out?"

"Well... alright. But only because you don't look very dignified blushing so brightly."

"I'm not blushing!"

"Yes you are."

"No. I'm not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"No I am not!"

"Vega, would you please tell him he's blushing!" Viola said, turning toward him.

But Vega had made a point of spinning around to face away from them. When Viola poked him, he jumped a little. "W-what?"

"What're you doing? C'mon, tell Hydrus he's blushing!" Viola said, grinning.

But Vega didn't think he could turn back around at the moment. As it was, he was having to bite down on his lower lip and hiding a blush of his own. Taking a quick, deep breath, he leveled his voice out and replied, "Stop tormenting him, Vivi. Didn't you almost fall asleep, too?"

"Almost." Viola said, smirking. "But unlike my dear big brother, I managed to keep it together. And now I can hold my head high and tease him about blushing!"

"Not blushing." Hydrus argued. "I'm also not continuing down this argument's path. Going to go and study for awhile..."

Hydrus vanished into the common room and headed for the stairs. When he was gone, Viola let out a disappointed sigh. "Aw, and I was having so much fun." Glancing over at Vega, she asked, "What's up? You not feeling good? Need to go back up to see Madam Pomfrey?"

"That isn't it." Vega said, letting out a frustrated scowl. "I'm fine, Vivi. Don't worry about me."

"Hey, that's my job." Viola said, whirling Vega around and aiming him into the common room. "Someone has to watch out for you. You might get stepped on by a seventh year if I don't!"

"Wh... hey, no fair sniping me about my height..." Vega said, pouting. "You know I have no control over that. Yet. It'd be nice if I could find a spell to make myself taller..."

"And less scrawny!" Chimed Viola.

"And less sc-- _less scrawny_?!" Vega crowed, turning to glare at Viola. "Oh, you're a fine one to talk!"

"And what's _that _supposed to mean?" Asked Viola.

"Just what you think it does, you ostrich!"

"Ostrich?! Oh, I'll ostrich _you_, Potter!"

"You'll ostrich me? What does that even me--**OUCH**!" Vega cried, having gotten lightly kicked in the shin by Viola, who laughed and took off toward the girls' stairs. "Get back here!"

"Nope! Go brood with my brother! I will remain victorious and see you both at dinner!"

"Victorious?! In what world did you come out the victor in this argument?!"

"This one!" Said Viola, bowing to Vega before disappearing down the stairs.

Vega stared at the spot she had been for awhile before rolling his eyes and searching for somewhere to sit down. Women, he thought, were completely out of their minds.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

By the time dinnertime had rolled around, the twins had thankfully stopped bickering with each other and had moved on to other topics. Unfortunately, those topics mostly centered around Vega's accident and subsequent recovery, something Vega himself wasn't all that thrilled to discuss. He had told them countless times now that he was feeling perfectly fine, a mild bit of apathy and annoyance aside.

When they reached the Great Hall, they went and sat at the end of the table nearest the doors, Vega glancing around for a moment. "Good, Danielson isn't around."

"Why's that good?" Asked Viola, looking for something that sounded good to eat. "Weren't you wanting to give him the news that you're on board?"

"He'd make a bit deal of it if it happened in here." Vega stated. "Even back in the dungeons is fine enough. So long as it isn't in front of the whole school."

"You don't think he could reign it in?" Hydrus asked.

"I don't think I want to chance it." Vega said, shaking his head.

"Fair enough. Though it does make me wonder where he is if not here..." Hydrus said, turning to slowly look around the room. "Hm..."

"Probably working on strategies and whatnot." Vega said. "You know how he is."

"Unfortunately. Well, you have a point. Let's see if we can't get through a single meal without some sort of--"

"Oi, Potter!" Came a female voice from nearby.

"--interruption." Hydrus finished, blowing out a low sigh.

Vega looked up from his still-empty plate to see Valerie Carmichael and Samantha Alven walking toward the Slytherin table. Something akin to annoyed worry was plastered all over Valerie's face. When she reached the Slytherins, she leaned in close to Vega and asked, "Have you seen Lapis around, Potter?"

"Not since earlier..." Vega said. "Why?"

"Lapis has been mysteriously absent since then." Samantha said, sounding almost bored. "I'm sure the idiot'll show up sooner or later. I keep telling Valerie not to worry, but she's trying to turn the castle upside-down."

"It's just strange, is all!" Valerie said, scowling at her friend. "Lapis never acts like this..."

"How long have you three known each other, anyway?" Vega asked.

"Since we were little." Samantha said, smiling faintly. "Not sure how we met, though. It might have been back in primary school..."

"And he doesn't usually behave this way?" Hydrus said, leaning forward against the table.

"Not in a long time. I think the last time I saw Lapis upset was when his aunt died." Valerie said, looking thoughtful for a moment. "That was three years ago..."

"Well, what did he do back then? Did he try hiding himself away?" Asked Hydrus.

"Yeah. He went and holed up in his room." Samantha said.

"That's probably what he's done this time. You should ask someone from the boy's dorm to go and drag him out." Hydrus said, shrugging.

Valerie and Samantha exchanged an odd look then before the former coughed and said, "Yeah. We'll do that. ...In any case, it shouldn't be too hard to get him out, I don't think. If he hasn't turned up by meal's end, we'll go see if he's lurking somewhere in the tower."

"Let me know if you can't find him." Vega said, frowning. "He seemed to be taking the accident way too hard."

"That's just the way Lapis is." Valerie said. "Always trying to shoulder the world alone."

As the two girls turned and headed back toward the Ravenclaw table, Samantha leaned in and whispered something to Valerie, who nodded and smiled.

"That was odd." Viola said. "D'you think he's okay?"

"Dunno." Vega said. "Hard to tell with that guy. One minute he's trying to challenge me to a race, the next he acts like I killed his dog or something, then he's apologetic and miserable."

Viola narrowed her eyes slightly, tapping at the table. "I wonder..."

"What? You think of what might be upsetting him?" Asked Vega.

"Maybe. Anyway, I'll have to ask those two later or something. C'mon, let's eat up. You're gonna need your energy to deal with Danielson!" Viola said, grinning at Vega, who sneered down at his plate.

Time in the Great Hall passed slowly, with Vega idly picking at his food for awhile before settling on a light dinner. He wasn't sure why he felt like he still had butterflies in his stomach. Maybe it was just his nerves, as he certainly was worried about another incident occurring during a match. If he couldn't hold himself together in the air, it was one more thing he'd end up getting tormented over, he was sure of it.

Across the table, Viola and Hydrus had been arguing about something or another for some time. He had decided to not even get into the middle of another one of their spats. The only thing that made him finally break out of his internal brow-beating was someone opening the doors to the Great Hall. His eyes moving to the side, he prayed it wasn't Danielson coming in. He definitely needed time to digest before handling that guy, and it hadn't been anywhere near long enough.

Ian Danielson, however, was not the one to enter the Great Hall. Lapis Eskander, looking worn out for some reason, walked in. He seemed to be absolutely exhausted, and didn't try to fight off an assist over to the table when Samantha and Valerie had gotten up to see if he was okay. They sat him down and went about ensuring he ate, which he slowly did. And, as his food vanished, a bit of energy seemed to return to him. By the time his plate was cleared, he was talking quietly with his friends, though the tiredness hadn't left his eyes.

At one point, Lapis had looked up and caught Vega staring at him. Vega tilted his head slightly, trying to ask his question wordlessly. Frowning for a moment, Lapis simply gave him a small nod before turning his attention back to the two girls sitting opposite him.

"What's on your mind?" Asked Viola, keeping track of what Vega was doing.

"Trying to figure that guy out. Not having any luck so far." Vega answered. Shaking his head, he smiled at Viola. "Dad over-thought stuff. Mum told me I unfortunately inherited that trait from him."

"Not good to think too much on a full stomach. You'll make yourself tired faster." Viola said, stretching and letting out a long yawn.

"Is that the excuse you plan to use to not study?" Asked Hydrus, dryly.

"I'll have you know I can study quite well, thank you very much." Viola said. "And even if I didn't, I know you'll let me look off of your notes."

Hydrus gave his sister a brief, withering look before sighing.

Viola grinned, throwing an arm around Hydrus' shoulders. "See? No one can resist my natural charms!"

"'Natural charms.'" Hydrus repeated, trying to shrug Viola's arm away.

"Yes, natural charms!" Viola stated, smirking. "And don't even act like you don't know what I mean. I remember that night I asked you to get me some leftover cake at, what was it, 3 in the morning? Dead of winter and you trudged your surly butt downstairs and came back with what I asked for."

"I don't suppose I can get away with claiming it was a momentary lapse in sanity, can I?" Asked Hydrus, looking rather grumpy about the path the conversation was on.

"Nope!" Chirped Viola.

"If you're going to lay the syrup on thick, at least wait until breakfast. No sense wasting it when we have no waffles." Vega said, ducking quickly to avoid a head of lettuce thrown by Viola. "Hey!"

"Hey yourself, Potter." Viola said, giving him the evil eye. "...Oh, now you've got me wanting waffles. You suck!"

"It's your own fault." Hydrus stated.

"Oh, so you're siding with him? That's nice..." Viola pouted.

So wrapped up in the silly argument he had somehow let himself be pulled into, Vega didn't see or hear the doors open again. He didn't take note of someone walking up on him until he noticed the shadow fall over the table. And, before he could curse his terrible luck, Ian Danielson had sat down near him.

"Evening, Potter. Holding up alright?"

"As well as can be expected, considering." Vega said, turning to face the Slytherin team's captain. "Where've you been, then?"

"Planning. But I ended up hitting roadblocks. I need to know if you're in or out, Potter. Can't plan anything or try finding another Seeker until I know what you're going to do." Danielson said.

"You need to try finding another Seeker anyway, since I dunno if that kind of thing will happen again." Vega said. "I'll be trying to fight the feeling if it tries surging forward again. I felt strange just before it happened. That's all I can recall, though. But if I start feeling like that again, I'll try and call a time out or something. Keeling over or falling off brooms isn't something I want to become a regular occurence..."

"So you're onboard, then?" Asked Danielson, hope glinting in the back of his eyes.

"I'm in." Vega said, nodding slowly. "Just try not to place too much hope on me, alright? I can fly alright, but being so short's going to be the problem... my choices are all pretty abysmal. I can't just make myself grow. I'd never be able to adjust on the fly. But my only other options are to either sit forward on my broom, in which case I might vault off anyway, or to go faster... and that might trigger whatever caused my blackout..."

"Dunno. You didn't pass out until after you'd landed." Danielson said. "You seemed to hold on just fine until then..."

"Stubbornness and willpower, probably." Vega muttered. "Anyway... I'll be there for the first practice, Danielson. I can't get scared of the air itself. I _want _to beat this thing, whatever it is."

"That's the spirit!" Danielson barked, grinning. "Okay, going to go back to work, then. Haven't been able to tell who we're up against first this year yet, unfortunately. That'll be announced in a few days' time, I believe."

He started to get up but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Glancing over it, Danielson saw fellow Beater, Vanessa Eyrie, holding up a couple slices of toast.

"If you're going to spend your whole evening working, at least take these with you." She said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, Ian, if you're going to be the one to pass out on your broom one of these days if you keep forgetting to eat."

Danielson swiped the toast and smirked. "Yeah, yeah. You keep saying that and I keep somehow getting by just fine."

"Alright, just don't come crying to me when you end up breaking your fat head." Vanessa said, turning and heading back up the table.

"Wh... fat head?!" Danielson repeated, indignantly. "Who has a fat head?!"

"You do, fathead!" Vanessa called.

"...Women." Danielson said, shoulders sagging as he turned and headed back out of the room, absent-mindedly eating the toast he had been given.

"Everyone around me is completely off their nut." Vega said. This was followed quickly by a yawn, which caught him off-guard. "Mmph... guess I'm still pretty tired..."

"You should turn in early." Hydrus suggested. "You're still probably feeling the effects of the potions."

"Probably." Vega agreed. "...Yeah, I think I'm going to head back and call it a day."

"Are you planning to go back to the dungeons or are you going to spirit yourself away again?" Asked Viola, fixing Vega with a pointed look.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Vega said, grinning as he got up. "Don't worry, I'll let you in sooner or later. If you're good."

"If I'm good?" Repeated Viola. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"No more claiming victory, then fleeing." Vega stated, waving as he headed for the doors. As he walked, he looked toward the Ravenclaw table. Though it was only for a moment, he and Lapis locked eyes. And, as Vega slipped out of the room, he gave his rival Seeker a small nod.

Heading for the stairs, another yawn escaped him. There were still a lot of strange things to take in, and he didn't feel like working on any of them. Making sure the twins - and Viola in particular - hadn't followed him, he headed toward the lonely corridor that the Pit was hiding in. He was certainly feeling better, but the butterflies in his stomach still fluttered when he thought about getting into the air again. Now that he'd put his lot in with Danielson, he had to make good on it. And while he was fairly confident he could suppress whatever it was that had caused the blackout, he wasn't so sure his opponents would let him. On top of that, he was worried that Lapis might not go all out against him.

If he didn't, then his fellow Ravenclaws would treat him poorly for it. But Vega wasn't sure he would try, knowing what the first race against him had resulted in. Perhaps that was why Lapis had been partially absent for dinner? Was he thinking about their next face-off, too? Was he trying to decide whether he would be able to go all-out against Vega?

Vega made a face as he thought about it. His father could keep the hunt for lunatics business. He was doing good to not get a headache regarding school subjects and other students. As he approached the fake wall, Vega glanced around to double-check that no one was watching. When he was sure it was safe, he slipped through and headed down the steps. Saying the password to the little snake on the door, he walked back into the Pit and closed the door behind him.

Sanctuary... that was where he was. Here, he didn't have to think about anything but relaxing. Here, worrying about his own magical aptitude or whether he'd pass out on a broomstick could be ignored, at least temporarily. The fire looked more inviting than it had when he had first arrived, and he took a seat on the couch to watch it flicker and crackle. Unlike earlier, he didn't feel as though something was lurking about, watching him from some unseen vantage point. He felt like the whole place was his now. Smiling, he settled back against the couch and closed his eyes.

The warmth of the fire combined with the decidedly small meal he had ended up consuming were starting to work a number on him. Plus, Hydrus was most likely correct. The potions weren't out of his system yet or something. He felt as though he could sleep for a week and still not be rested enough. And he knew the year was still just beginning. He was going to have a long journey ahead of him, whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep on the couch. It would come back to haunt him the following day. But that seemed so far away, and he was incredibly sleepy.

Thinking about how angry his neck and back would be at him simply didn't seem to matter.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: And so, Vega inherits the Snake Pit from his parents. Harry was sure to tell him of both of their hidey-holes that they found when they went to Hogwarts. Just in case. He had a feeling his boy might need them, after all. As for what the odd feeling Vega got in there might be, I'm not going to say. I've got a couple surprises to come that'll occur in or around the Pit. Another case where I'm all eager to write the good stuff, but slow to get TO those points. Alas, writer's block and video games. Also, as I write this, Thanksgiving is just two days away. All of the family I consider 'immediate' lives in this house, and we never make that much of the day. A bit of good food here and there, but no big, boisterous gatherings.

Despite that, it's still a holiday, and I'm sure I'll be a bit slow on the draw for awhile leading up to and directly following it. Not much to say other than that. So I hope all my fellow North American readers had a good Thanksgiving (as this is sure to go up sometime AFTER said holiday) and are preparing for a good (and tasty!) Xmas season!

Next chapter, we jump ahead just a little bit... and Halloween rolls around at Hogwarts...


	7. Cursed

Vega winced as he sat down in a chair in the Slytherin common room, closing his eyes and blowing out a long sigh. Another Quidditch practice he had managed to somehow survive. For their team's captain, just trying to go after the Golden Snitch wasn't enough of a challenge to focus on all on its own. Instead, Vega had to constantly dodge Bludgers being smashed his way for the entirety of his practice time. It was an exhausting ordeal to undergo, but he had to admit, it was doing what Danielson had told him it would. It was helping him sharpen his reflexes considerably, as he obviously didn't want to land in Madam Pomfrey's care with broken bones.

They had already had their first real match of the year, against Hufflepuff, and they had come out on top of that one. But not by a close enough margin. Vega finally had to bite the bullet and push himself farther than he wanted to steal the victory from Elisa Haque's outstretched hands. He had jolted ahead at the last moment, moved forward on his Lightwing, and plucked the Snitch out of the sky just as Haque lunged for it as well. Her hand had actually closed over his for a moment before she glared and spun away, looking sour over her loss. Vega was just happy that he could push himself and not black out, which had done wonders for his confidence.

His good mood didn't seem to spread to much of the staff, however. Halloween was less than a week away, and all of the teachers seemed to be on-edge for some reason. Hydrus had reminded him of what their parents had to face while they were at the school. A few incidents had occurred since Harry and his friends had left, but none of it had been noteworthy. And now that Vega and his friends had arrived, obviously they were expecting things to suddenly change.

Vega had tried arguing this with Hydrus, asking why that would happen. Hydrus had reminded him of the incidents still plaguing England. Finding out that the children of the Potters and Malfoys had started at Hogwarts wouldn't be difficult. And with whispers of a cult starting to gain popularity among the wizarding public, to think that someone might try something wasn't a very big stretch. But Vega had insisted that they were all just being paranoid. Halloween would come and pass without incident and that would be that.

Lapis Eskander seemed back to his old, cockier self. This seemed to fall just slightly after the Slytherin versus Hufflepuff match, after seeing Vega rocket forward to snatch the win away from the taller Haque. The two were back to barely speaking and only occasionally crossed paths during their daily schedules. And whenever Lapis was around, so were his two female friends. Vega still wasn't convinced that the two girls weren't secretly fighting over Lapis. Sometimes they acted decidedly strange around him. It was a mystery that Vega had resolved to at least try to work out by the end of the year. He hadn't decided to open a betting pool on which would win their apparent battle over Lapis, but if it escalated, he was certainly considering it.

Cracking open an eye to see more Slytherins filtering into the room, Vega stretched. He had tried not going back to the Pit for anything. It still felt off down there, and he still wasn't sure why. He had spent the better part of one of his Sundays searching all of the rooms for anything that might be causing the feeling in him, but he came up empty. He had even shoved the couch back temporarily and used it to get closer to the hole in the ceiling. But without a way to seal it up properly or see down the numerous tunnels dug by the beholder that had lived there, it was impossible to tell if anything was there.

That day had also been used to acquaint himself with Dobby the house elf, who was exactly as his father had described. Energetic and very eager to meet Vega finally, Dobby had eaten up almost two hours of his time before bowing and teleporting back down to the kitchens to resume work on the day's dinner. Vega had told him that he wasn't sure how often he'd be down there that year, and asked if Dobby knew why he had felt watched. Dobby had frowned, saying that he wasn't sure, though sometimes he also felt strange while in the room. The fact that neither could place why was something of a bother. He hadn't written to his parents about it, however. Harry was out almost daily now, helping the Aurors track down whoever was causing the isolated attacks on wizarding England. Hydrus and Viola's father had also taken to working with the Aurors, stating that he felt like an old man sitting around while Harry had all the 'fun.'

Groaning, Vega shoved himself up and out of the chair, heading for the stairs. The common room was getting too full and noisy now. And while he had skipped dinner due to practice taking up most of his evening, he didn't feel hungry yet. He rather wanted to get an early start to sleep before he relaxed enough that it did. He knew he could kip off to the Pit and get anything he wanted at whatever hour he needed it, but that would require losing Hydrus and Viola, who had taken a sharp interest in trying to follow him. He still just wasn't ready to talk to them about it.

Trudging up the stairs and into the first years' dorm, he shuffled over to his bed and keeled over face-first onto it, muttering darkly into his blanket about wanting to smash a Bludger at Danielson's head sometimes. With a scowl, he crawled up so he was on the bed a bit more properly and promptly sprawled back out, not caring that he was planning to sleep in his Quidditch robes. His shower and a change could wait until the following day.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Do you really think it'll be like it was back then, ma'am?" Asked Neville Longbottom in an undertone, watching the students file in to eat breakfast.

The headmistress snorted quietly. "If it isn't, I'll eat my hat. But as long as we keep a close watch on the students today, we might be alright. Everyone will be back in their common rooms before sundown. Anyone caught outside will risk being expelled."

"Isn't that a little... extreme?"

"I'd rather come off as being overly strict than to let them come to any harm. And it's just a temporary measure of caution, besides. Halloween seems to dredge up the worst things, sending them all here. But then, I'm sure you of all people don't need help remembering how it can be. And with what the Aurors have been letting us in on and with those children here, I really would prefer to come across as paranoid just this once. As deputy headmistress, it was bad enough to watch things unfold. I'm not sure how Albus put up with the stress sometimes, to be honest."

"Lots and lots of patience." Neville said, shaking his head. "It's a shame, though. Halloween should be a night where we turn a bit of a blind eye to pranks and sneaking out at night."

"The castle _is _very old." Said Professor Flitwick, speaking up. "Even if you thought you had a perfect knowledge of it, it's impossible to watch every way in at once. The dungeons run deep and tunnels go out in all directions. It's got good, sound warding on it, of course, but that doesn't necessarily mean something can't slip in undetected! The Chamber of Secrets was hidden for ages before Harry ran across it. Who knows what else is sleeping in the darkness?"

Neville shuddered at that. "Oh, stop, you'll give me nightmares..."

Tadyggbo let out a laugh at that. "Now now, Neville, don't let it get to you. While I may not know Hogwarts as well as some of you, I've certainly spent my fair share of time going on walks about the place. And in that time, I've only noticed a few suspicious things that might hold a secret passage in some form or another. And some of them are simply hiding spots that former heads of the school put their private quarters. I found myself on the sixth floor one time, around nine at night, and ended up in something of a garden way up at the top of a flight of stairs. A section of the wall had looked odd, and when I leaned in to check, I saw that it could be magically removed. Spent a good hour trying various things out, and finally found a spell that did the trick. Nothing but well-kept flowers in a circular room, though. Damnedest thing."

Leaning in so that she could still be heard over the students, Professor Sinistra added, "He left out the part where he had to spend a week in bed due to being allergic to everything that was up there."

Tadyggbo gave the woman a withering glance, causing her to grin sweetly at him.

"Whatever the case." McGonagall said, rolling her eyes, "I'll make the announcement over lunch. We'll have the Prefects helping round their House's students up and assisting the staff with transporting them to and from classes."

"Is Crowley going to stay holed up in his office, then?" Asked Sinistra, making a face.

Albert Crowley was the man who had come along to replace the aging Argus Filch. And while Crowley was less uptight about every little rule being maintained, he was also incredibly anti-social, preferring to remain in his quarters and read. Even during meals, it was rare to see him eating when everyone else was. Sometimes, it seemed as though the old man could pop out of nowhere, which had unnerved more than a few of the younger students. He wasn't much for talking, instead choosing to simply level an unblinking gaze at whoever had caused any trouble. When he did speak, it was typically in clipped sentences that got straight to the point and let him go about his business.

"He is." McGonagall confirmed. "Though he said he would keep an ear out, should anything _happen _to roam outside of it."

"He's better than Filch was." Neville muttered. "At least Crowley never carries on about chaining students to the walls or dipping them in boiling oil. You know, I always thought Mrs. Norris was weird. Like not really a cat, if that makes sense..."

"She did give off a strange aura at times." Flitwick said, tilting his head. "But if there was anything different about her other than that, it got past me. And Argus couldn't have spelled her himself, after all. Why would anyone put spells on someone else's pet?"

"Can't imagine Filch ever asking someone to do a thing like that, anyway." Neville said, frowning.

"Can we please stop talking about this?" Sinistra asked. "The food's going to be here soon, and I'd rather not have our breakfast conversation be about gargoyles absconding with students and who's the creepier caretaker."

Tadyggbo laughed again. "I'll second the motion. On to merrier topics, then?"

"Such as how Slytherin is doing rather well for itself this year." Sinistra said, a sly grin on her face. "How's Miss Haque doing, Neville?"

Neville made a face. "We've all learned to stay away from the subject. She gets rather... cranky, shall we say, if anyone brings up our loss."

"It was quite a performance. Good to see Danielson's found us a good set of replacements this year! I'll be honest, I was worried that we might end up with a sub-par team." Sinistra said, shaking her head slowly.

"Hopefully Vega doesn't have any more incidents, though." Neville said, glancing out across the room towards the Slytherin boy in question. He was sitting near the Malfoys and talking animatedly about something. "Has he been doing okay? Anything strange that you've noticed?"

"Blackout aside? Not really. He's still struggling in his studies a bit, but he's starting to get the hang of it all. He doesn't seem to be the natural his father was." Said Sinistra, following Neville's gaze. "Honestly, what are the odds Slytherin would get the lot of them? I was expecting Draco and Pansy's children to get in, but nabbing Potter's, too?"

"Too much energy between them." Came a voice from next to Flitwick. Sevastian Fedorov, current Potions professor at Hogwarts, was looking out across the room as well. "I'm not sure I've ever seen the Malfoy girl in anything but an upbeat mood. Her brother's almost the opposite. A little too quiet and reserved, but constantly thinking. And somewhere in the middle is the Potter boy..."

"He always seems nervous." Tadyggbo said, nodding. "Seems to 'get' my stuff, but that's probably because I've been over-explaining things a bit much, I think. The kappa likes him, though, so I guess that's something!"

"Probably just nerves." Said Fedorov. "He seems to slowly be opening up. I'm sure Quidditch is doing something for that. The win must have been good for him."

"It was the happiest he's looked since he got here." Sinistra said, smirking. "He got to be the hero for his House that day. That it was his very first match only makes it better. Didn't you say he actually raised his hand in your class the other day, Filius?"

Flitwick nodded, smiling. "And he got the answer correct, as well. Miss Malfoy was teasing him about it after class was over, but he looked rather pleased about it all."

"We're still missing a few." Tadyggbo said, glancing at the empty spots still remaining at the staff table. "Where are the others?"

"Rosalind's trying to figure out what Mr. Neale did to his chair. Transfigured it into something resembling an open iron maiden, I hear." Sinistra said, making a face. "Dom's grading his fifth and sixth years' tests at the moment, I think. Hewitt's probably still asleep, and I thought I saw Hagrid out dealing with the pumpkins."

"Wright's giving tests this early into the year?" Tadyggbo said, his tone slightly higher.

"You're about the only one who hasn't given one, actually." Fedorov said.

"Tests will come once we're done with the kappa." Tadyggbo stated. "Still don't much understand the way Wright lays his tests out, either. Went to ask him if he wanted to go down to the pub not long ago and he was picking questions to put on it. Didn't recognize half the words on it..."

Sinistra patted him on the back. "You aren't the only one. Though I suppose it's our own fault that we're so ignorant of Muggle ways. I remember in staff meetings how Albus used to drop not-so-subtle hints that he wouldn't mind updating the castle a bit. But can you imagine? Just thinking about it gives me a headache..."

"Maybe in the future." Tadyggbo said, grinning. As the food finally appeared on plates around the room, his eyes lit up. "Ah, finally!"

Neville picked up a fork and started to stab a sausage, but paused at the strange look on McGonagall's face. She was still staring across the room, her gaze focused like a laser on Vega Potter. Her eyes were just slightly narrowed and very calculating. She was lost in thought about something or another. Neville had only seen that expression a few times, though he couldn't imagine what she could be thinking so hard about. Hopefully, he thought as he started eating, the day would pass without incident.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"I wish they'd decorate the castle sooner than on Halloween day." Viola said as the three were heading to the Great Hall that night. "It'd help set the mood, ya know?"

"With how big those pumpkins of Hagrid's are, I'm not sure I want to see how they've decorated." Vega stated, eyebrows raised.

"What's the worst they could do? They're just pumpkins." Said Hydrus.

"Oh, don't say that..." Vega whined. "You'll jinx it and cause something to happen."

"Nonsense. Jinxes don't work that way." Hydrus stated.

"Vega, stop worrying. Hydrus, stop being a mood killer." Viola ordered, whirling around to face the two boys. Walking backwards, she continued, "I'm gonna make the two of you have fun tonight one way or another!"

"Yeah, well. Your dad didn't have things start chasing after him until he started hanging around _my _dad." Vega muttered. "And _my _dad was dealing with crazy stuff on Halloween right from the start..."

"Weren't you the one who was saying everyone was being paranoid?" Asked Hydrus. "Why the sudden change in heart, Potter?"

"The castle is very large and there are many places something could skulk in the shadows." Vega said. "And I don't think I could beat a troll like dad did..."

"He didn't beat it, Dumbledore did." Hydrus corrected. "He just escaped from it."

"Same difference." Vega scowled. "I don't think I could _escape _from a troll like dad did. Happy now?"

"Would you two cut it out?!" Viola barked, moving to slug the two boys in the shoulders. As they winced at the attack, she stepped between them and grabbed at their robes. "No arguing! No being paranoid! No thinking the day's a bland, ordinary day. It's Halloween you jerks, start having fun!"

"If we start having fun, will you stop tormenting us?" Asked Vega, trying to yank his robes out of Viola's vice-like grip.

"Depends on how convincing an actor you are." Viola said, smiling sweetly.

The three continued arguing off and on until they arrived in the Great Hall, which the staff had, as usual, gone slightly overboard in making festive. Hagrid's jumbo-sized pumpkins were lined up on either side of the double doors leading into the room and had been enchanted to greet anyone coming in. What looked to be real skeletons were inside the Great Hall, dancing with one another in the corners of the room, and haunting music was softly playing. Overhead, instead of properly reflecting the actual weather, the ceiling showed a stormy night's sky, complete with occasional burst of lightning and crack of thunder. The benches that lined the four House tables alternated orange and black colors, and small bowls filled with various candies floated around the room lazily.

A good many people had already gotten to the room and were animatedly talking. A group of older Hufflepuff girls seemed to be hosting something of a ghost-telling story. A few of the students near her seemed mildly confused by this practice, as they kept pointing toward the actual ghosts that were in attendance. Vega and the twins took up their usual spot at the end of the Slytherin table, with Vega eyeballing one of the floating candy dishes.

"Just a little lower..." He murmured, eyes trained on it. "Come on, get down here..."

"Do you want me to summon it?" Viola asked, sounding amused.

The candy dish hovered overhead for a few seconds longer, then went into a divebomb, candy spilling over the sides as it tried to crash into Vega's head. For his part, Vega let out a cry and pushed back from the table, barely avoiding falling off the bench entirely. The candy dish circled like a vulture once gaining a bit of height, then began to float off across the room. Propping himself back upright, Vega glared at the dish as he swiped a piece of fallen candy off to the table.

"Cute." He groused, unwrapping the candy and popping it into his mouth. He spat it out a second later, making a gagging noise.

"What was it?" Hydrus asked.

Vega pointed accusingly at another piece of the candy, which had landed near Hydrus. Hydrus looked from Vega to the candy and then back again before replying, "After seeing you do that, I'd have to be out of my mind to taste for myself."

"Vivi, get him!" Vega choked.

"Roger that!" Chimed Viola who, in one swift motion, had grabbed and opened the candy, pulled her brother's head to one side, and shoved the candy into his mouth as he tried protesting. His eyes widened almost instantly as he also spit the piece of candy out.

"Why would you do that?!" Hydrus yelled, trying to wipe the taste off of his tongue. "Why would you make candy that tastes like that?!"

"And why would the staff _buy _it?!" Vega whimpered, looking rather miserable.

"Okay, now you have _me _curious. What the heck was it?" Asked Viola. "And if either of you try lobbing a piece of the stuff into _my _mouth, I'll hex your bits off."

"You know when you were six and you had that frog?" Vega asked.

"Yeah... what about it?" Viola replied, looking outright confused.

"You remember when it got sick all over your new dress? Remember the smell?" Vega continued.

Viola frowned, but nodded. "Yeah, but wh-- oh. Ohhh." She paused, looking from Vega to Hydrus. "...Oh god! I'm sorry, Hydrus!"

"Apology not accepted!" Hydrus choked out, looking a bit green. Grabbing for a goblet that thankfully filled itself as he touched it, he gulped a few mouthfuls of pumpkin juice. "...Ugh, the taste isn't going away. Thanks for that, Potter."

"You could've tried it without me needing to sic Vivi on you." Vega said, trying to drink the flavor away as well. From his expression, he was getting the same results that Hydrus was.

"Who in their right mind would have willingly done that after seeing you make that face?!" Hydrus asked, his face still in a grimace. "I hope the food gets here soon."

"Dunno why, the food'll probably taste tainted, too!" Vega said. "Right. First thing tomorrow, we're going to figure out what jerk bought those and put them into these candy dishes!"

"And then what?" Viola asked. "Bet whoever got them thinks they taste good."

"I... what? Who would think that stuff tastes _good_? Seriously, you don't know how awful this is! This isn't different tastes coming into play. This tastes like the smell of the mess that frog made!"

"I think we should just try to forget this ever happened." Hydrus said.

Vega nodded quickly at this suggestion. "I agree. I very much agree. And if I can keep from having nightmares about having to eat more of those things, I'll be more than happy to never think about this again."

The foul-tasting candy ended up getting taste-tested by several more students as the night went on, with every one of them having the same horrified response. One boy rushed from the room after spitting his piece out, having made the dire mistake of having it right after eating a large meal. The food, blissfully, did have some effect on dimming the dreadful aftertaste that was attempting to haunt the mouths of anyone who had tried the candy. Around the end of dinner, Vega was nursing a bit of chocolate, which seemed to help the most out of everything that had popped onto the table for dinner.

"I think that stuff coated my tongue." Vega said, sounding just short of outright miserable. "I'm going to be a little old man and I'll still be tasting it..."

"Oh, stop exaggerating." Viola said. "It can't still be hanging around."

"Can and is." Hydrus said. "Potter, break me off a piece of that thing, would you?"

Nodding, Vega snapped a piece of the chocolate bar off and tossed it to Hydrus, who bite off a piece. "Helps, huh?"

Hydrus simply nodded, letting the chocolate slowly melt in his mouth.

"Hey, look on the bright side." Viola said, leaning against the table. "The candy got your minds off your dumb argument from earlier. And neither of you have worried about it since."

"Guess you're right." Vega said, smiling crookedly. "It was kinda silly to think that something would happen just because we're here, right?"

"Exactly." Hydrus murmured, biting off another piece of the chocolate bar.

"Then again, that candy was pretty terrifying. Maybe that was our big 'oh no!' moment of the year or something." Vega said, looking thoughtful.

"If that's the worst thing that happens this year, I'll be satisfied." Hydrus said, taking a quick sip of his pumpkin juice before cringing. "Note to self, these flavors do not mix well..."

"Better than pumpkin juice and frog sick." Vega said.

"Agreed. Though not by much... maybe one terrible aftertaste will cancel the other one out." Hydrus pondered, frowning.

"Come on, you two. Looks like the Prefects are about ready to start rounding us up." Viola said, glancing up the table. "Let's get back to the common room and just try and forget this little event, shall we?"

"Spoken by someone not traumatized by it." Vega said. "But I'm taking the rest of this chocolate with me. Surely they won't have a problem with that. Not after seeing so many of us fall victim to that stuff..."

The headmistress stood up a few minutes later and was about to address the students when one of the doors to the room flew open. The Prefects, to their credit, had whirled around, wands aimed at whoever or whatever had thrown it open. But it wasn't a monster, it was simply a Gryffindor fifth year, looking just on the verge of having a complete nervous breakdown. Her clothes and hair were messed up slightly, and her robes had a large tear on the back. She barely slowed down as she flew into the room, making a dash for the staff table, where the teachers suddenly looked tense.

"Miss Weatherly, what's wrong? Where have you been?" McGonagall asked, moving around the staff table to be on even ground with the girl.

"She's... she's been hurt!" Cried the girl, grasping McGonagall's robes and looking up at the headmistress through terrified eyes. "She's bleeding, I don't know how bad it got her!"

"Calm down, Miss Weatherly. Who has been hurt and where?" Asked McGonagall, putting her hands on the Gryffindor's shoulders.

"M-my friend Annie! Up near the second floor girls' toilets! I... I don't know what happened. She was feeling ill... when we came out, something slammed into us and dragged her off! She... I ran after her and when I came around the corner it was standing over her and she was bleeding and it looked like it was going to eat her and I didn't know what to do so I ran and..."

"_BREATHE_, Miss Weatherly! What was it? What attacked your friend?"

"It... it was a chimaera!" The girl whimpered, tears spilling down her face. "It was huge and I don't know how it didn't kill the both of us right there, but I ran... I don't even know if she's okay. I don't..."

"Gareth, Filius, Sevastian, get up there as fast as you can. If the girl is still there, take her to Poppy at once." Ordered McGonagall.

Professors Tadyggbo, Flitwick, and Fedorov got up and swiftly left the room, closing the door behind them as they went. McGonagall helped the shaking girl over to the Gryffindor table before turning back toward the staff table. "We're going to search the school. A large chimaera isn't going to be able to easily avoid us. Rubeus, I want you to stay here and keep by the door. If you hear anything that sounds like growling..."

"I'll keep 'em safe, Professor." Hagrid said, getting up from his seat.

As the rest of the staff got to their feet, McGonagall turned to face the students. "Everyone is to remain here for now. Prefects, while we are away, I would like you to move the students from your House towards the front of the room and away from the doors. The side room may be used if needed, but it isn't big enough to hold everyone. Keep your wands out and on the door. If anything bursts in and Hagrid isn't able to stop it, I want you to open fire."

McGonagall drew her wand and led the staff, minus Hagrid, out of the Great Hall. Hagrid closed the doors this time, after glancing around the Entrance Hall for a moment. He turned away from them and leaned back. "Ain't nothin' gonna budge these doors so long as _I'm_ here." He gruffed. "Don't you all be worryin' none. If there's a chimaera around, they'll be able to deal with it."

The Prefects began to move students from the House tables up toward the staff table. Some students were more than happy to stand against the wall behind the staff table, as it kept them as far from the doors as they could possibly be. Others sat at the front end of the four tables, and some sat on the floor in front of the staff table, knees drawn up to their chests. Some of the sixth and seventh year students had also drawn their wands, just in case. The Prefects were doing their best to calm those who looked like they were panicking, with one of Gryffindor's sitting with the friend of the girl who had been attacked.

Vega, Hydrus, and Viola were sitting along the wall near the Slytherin table. Vega looked like he was just shy of panicking himself, and Viola seemed to sense this, as she was trying to say comforting things about how this would pass without any more incident. She didn't sound too sure of herself, however, and she soon fell back on simply throwing an arm around Vega's shoulders. Hydrus was listening as the Slytherin Prefects talked with some of the older students about what would be best to throw at a chimaera, should the worst case scenario occur.

When a knock came on the door, it startled almost everyone. Hagrid turned his head and asked, "Who's there?!"

"It's us!" Came the familiar voice of Professor Flitwick. "Let us in, we have news!"

Hagrid pushed away from the two doors and opened one up. The three professors who had left to rescue the injured girl stepped back in. Fedorov and Tadyggbo turned to talk to Hagrid and mind the Entrance Hall as Flitwick got up on the Ravenclaw table to be seen better.

"Miss Weatherly, your friend is going to be alright! She was indeed bleeding rather badly, but it's nothing Madam Pomfrey can't fix!" Flitwick said, sounding rather relieved himself. "She might have a rather nasty scar on her leg, but she's quite lucky!"

"And so are you, for that matter." Tadyggbo said, glancing across the room. "Not sure how you managed to escape that thing, but we saw a mark on a wall where it must have taken a slash at you. I've not seen chimaera claws that large in my life. We ran into Sinistra and Harper while coming back, and they said they hadn't found anything yet. It had to've been over ten feet tall if its claws were that large. How the devil it's keeping itself out of sight is beyond me..."

"Maybe it's got a lair it's returning to." Said Fedorov. "We should call the Aurors in tomorrow if they can spare a few men. Get them down into the Chamber of Secrets, just to see if it's lurking there."

"Worth a shot. It's as good a guess as anything." Tadyggbo said, shaking his head. "Anyway, we need to get back out there, Rubeus. We just wanted to pass on the news."

"Be careful out there, you three." Hagrid said, stepping back to allow the three back out of the room. "Haven't heard anything around here yet, though. Hopin' it stays that way."

"As do we." Fedorov stated.

"We'll check back in once we've made a sweep of this floor and the first." Flitwick said. "Stay safe!"

Hagrid nodded, once more closing the doors behind the trio as they left. "...Ten feet tall?" He said, blowing out a low sigh. "Can't imagine where somethin' that big could be..."

"The question isn't so much where it's hiding..." Hydrus said, his voice quiet. "It's how it got _in_. Chimaeras aren't native here. It had to have come in from elsewhere... which means there's a very good chance that someone _let _it into the school..."

"Oh god, don't say that." Vega whimpered. "...Do you think it's those lunatics who've been causing the attacks around the country?"

"Could be." Hydrus murmured. "I'm sure they'll know soon enough anyway, but it couldn't hurt writing to our parents first chance we get."

"If they'll let anyone up to the owlery on their own." Viola said.

"They'll probably ask for any letters to be set on the staff table at the end of a meal so that they can send the school owls off." Hydrus said.

"Now what?" Vega asked, hugging his knees and looking at the twins.

"All we can do - we wait." Hydrus said, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. "And we try not to let this get under our skin. If there's anything that big roaming the halls, they'll find it."

"And if they don't?" Asked Viola.

"Then we can start worrying."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Well, kids, you knew the peace couldn't last. So how does a ten foot tall chimaera hide in Hogwarts? I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Things are finally picking up, which should mean that barring Christmas, the next chapter will be written and up before the end of 2009! That's the plan, anyway. As expected, once things start picking up, so does my desire to write more often. I can't keep it action-y all the time, though, or I (and everyone else) would get sick of it pretty quick.

Crummy way to spend Halloween, if you ask me. But you gotta admit - it's the perfect atmosphere. And slightly comedic if you think about the fact that those dancing skeletons and enchanted pumpkins and things are still moving around.

Next chapter is the one I've been waiting all this time to write. We've seen a taste of it already, but that was merely the beginning. It may just be the start down a very bloody road indeed...


	8. The Magician

Vega stared into the gently-crackling flames, eyes barely holding themselves open. Halloween night had passed by without finding the location of the chimaera. Over two weeks had gone by since then, in fact, and nothing had been so much as spotted. Aurors, with Harry in tow, had come to search Hogwarts. But even with Harry descending back into the Chamber of Secrets, they hadn't found anything. Wolf thought that the girl might have simply attacked her friend herself and used the chimaera story as a coverup. But McGonagall didn't think that was the case. Most of the staff, having seen the claw marks that were now scarring the castle, agreed with her.

While it was shaky at best, the staff had eased up on how tightly-monitored the students were, which gave Vega the chance he had been waiting for. His mind had been a wreck since the end of October had rumbled by, unable to properly focus on anything. And, at least this once, it wasn't because of his own self-doubt. Even some of the Slytherins seemed to think that Vega and the Malfoys were the cause of the chimaera being loose in the school. Thankfully, the Quidditch team and a good many of the other older students had stood up for them, so the trio still felt moderately safe inside the confines of their dungeon home. But outside of the common room, they were fair game.

Though the staff were trying to keep their eyes on the three, for fear of something exactly like this taking place, they could only be stretched so thin. Times like this made Vega wish he could be like Hydrus was. Hydrus didn't seem to be letting any of the tormenting get under his skin, as it had all been verbal so far. Vega had asked him what would happen if it went beyond that. Hydrus had simply shook his head, saying that if the were ever pushed around, they would simply report the abuse to the staff and let them mete out the punishment as they saw fit.

Hugging his knees, Vega lowered his head slightly. Hydrus never let anything get to him unless Viola was involved. He supposed he could add himself in there, somewhere, but it didn't feel the same. Not to him, at least. Sighing, Vega let himself keel over onto his side, remaining curled up. Why the hell did it have to be him, anyway? Out of everyone, why the hell did Hydrus have to be the one that was so brave? Even back when they were little - which, Vega mused, smirking wanly, hadn't been all that long ago - Hydrus never seemed to be scared of anything.

"Idiot." Vega muttered, closing his eyes. "Why does _he _get to act like that?"

Stretching out, Vega let out a quiet yawn. It was well past midnight, though he didn't really feel like turning in just yet. He'd been having rather nasty nightmares about the monster loose in the school. Though whether it was still around or not was anyone's guess. People kept thinking they saw something out of the corners of their eyes, only to find that it had been something completely mundane. Viola thought she had seen something while they were out on the Quidditch Pitch, but that had turned out to be little more than a tree with oddly-shaped branches swaying in the wind.

Though he was trying not to let it get to him, Vega still felt constantly nervous. The rest of the people might have been willing to try to forget about the creature, he wasn't so lucky. He was the one constantly getting picked on by students who thought it was primarily his fault the thing had entered Hogwarts in the first place. Hydrus usually managed to defuse these situations by killing the arguments with logic, but it didn't slow them down any. The Gryffindors were especially bad to him, seeing as how it was a pair of their own that had been attacked.

He wasn't even sure why he was spending the night in the Pit. He knew it was stupid, given that someone might think he had been spirited away or eaten by the chimaera, but he couldn't help it. If anyone else had the ire of almost the entire school directed their way, they'd want to be alone for awhile, too. He'd had a chance to speak to his father for a brief bit after he'd gone down into the Chamber, but Harry seemed more irritated and curious than anyone on staff had.

"All I saw was the remains of the basilisk. No signs of life at all, other than that. With a gigantic snake, traveling wouldn't be as confounding. But how does a creature that big skulk around in secret? Ugh... and here I thought I was done pondering mysteries about this damn place..." Harry had said to him, scowling all the while. "I want you to be careful, alright? If it's here, it's here. Don't get lulled into a false sense of security if it doesn't strike for awhile. It's going to get hungry eventually. I didn't take too close a look at the pile of bones down there, but it didn't seem like any of them were getting gnawed on. I doubt someone's around to feed it. Ask Dobby to help keep an eye out if Minerva doesn't, and don't try to deal with it by yourselves if you figure something out, alright? I had to grow up way too quick... I'd like you to not have to go through that kind of thing if at all possible."

"Not like I go looking for trouble." Vega had muttered, glancing down. "It just seems to find me..."

"Comes with the name, unfortunately." Sighed Harry. "Gotta go tell Lock and the others what I found - precisely nothing - and we'll probably head off. Good to see you before Christmas, though. I know the first year's rough, but you're doing a fine job so far. Keep at it, okay?"

"Alright."

And with that, Harry had walked off, stuffing his hands into his pockets and quietly talking to himself about puzzle pieces or something.

Professor Tadyggbo had broken his lesson plan long enough to talk about chimaeras for awhile. He, too, seemed baffled by the size of the beast that had been spotted on Halloween. He had told them that they just don't grow that large. But since they were highly resistant to magic, it was also hard, if not outright impossible, to alter their size that way. Most of the class had been spent pondering ways to take down something that big. One thing they had learned was that it was impossible for first years to score a killing blow on one. They simply didn't have the magical power or knowledge to throw the right things at one. The best they could do is try to take out the thing's eyes and run while it flailed around in anger and pain.

It wasn't a very reassuring thought, which more than a few of their number outright stated. Tadyggbo had nodded, saying that even the older students would have to probably well out-number the chimaera to be able to safely take it down. The staff was a different story, since most of them were far, far older than even the seventh years, and most took part in at least one of the two wars against Voldemort in some form or another.

What they did have, he had told them, was size. Something that big probably wouldn't be able to get into any of the classrooms. Not without a lot of smashing into the door and the stone wall surrounding it, in any case. Tadyggbo said that if any of them _did _run into the beast, their best bet was to stay quiet and find a classroom or a deep alcove to get into until help could get to them. If it came down to it, they should run and not look back. It couldn't have been too fast, he had said, if a young student could outrun it, and it obviously didn't follow her clear to the Great Hall. It had given up the chase at some point, which was a point of interest. Whether it was because the chimaera wasn't capable of long bursts of speed or whether it knew how populated the Great Hall had been was something the staff was still debating.

If it was the former, it was simply good luck for everyone else. It meant that escape _was _possible so long as you kept your head about you. If it was the latter, it was far more distressing. It meant that the chimaera was smart enough to sense and avoid large buildups of magical energy. He had explained that in places like Hogsmeade, Hogwarts, or other places where large numbers of magical folk gather, the air becomes charged, as it were, with magical energy. Vega had heard his father talk about stuff like that in the past, regaling him of tales of how he used to shift and ride the magical currents around the school and how, if he overused his magic, it began damaging the magic in the air around him.

Vega stared into the fire, sighing quietly. It was a lot to think about, and most of it made his head hurt. So far, nothing had stopped Quidditch-related activities, for which he was happy. It gave him something, other than schoolwork, to focus his attention on. Better that than thinking a dirty great beast was going to leap out of the shadows and devour him in one bite.

It was at least an hour later before Vega had pushed himself up from the couch to trudge into the bedroom. At least, he thought, as he covered himself up, that feeling of being watched had gone away.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Look, I'm telling you, I saw it!"

"You lie! Where?"

"Up on the fifth floor, near the bathrooms! But it wasn't a chimaera. That girl had to've been imagining things. That was a manticore for sure!"

"Same difference, isn't it? A big, four-legged monster that wants to eat your face off..."

"I heard someone saw an ogre near Gryffindor Tower!"

"What?! Why would an ogre be anywhere near the castle, let alone all the way up there?!"

"Look, don't ask me, I'm just telling you what I heard!"

"I think you need to get your ears cleaned, then, because you hear some weird damn things."

Viola slumped at the Slytherin table, glancing over her shoulder and giving a withering look at the group of fourth year Hufflepuff girls who were noisily chatting away somewhere behind her. "I hope someone hexes their mouths off, all of them. It's too early in the day to be that loud."

"You're usually that chipper, might I point out." Hydrus stated.

"And you can hush up, too." Groused the girl. "Didn't sleep well last night. All these stupid rumors are making me have nightmares..."

"That's all they are, though. If there really is a monster, they'll hunt it down eventually. Until then, there's nothing we can do." Said Hydrus, buttering another slice of toast.

"So we just wait until it attacks again? That's nice. What kind of stupid plan is that?" Asked Viola to no one in particular as she glared down at her orange juice. "What if it kills someone next time, huh? They'll have to close to school, won't they?"

"They didn't back when the Chamber of Secrets was opened the first time and that Myrtle girl died." Vega chimed in, glancing up from his plate. "And even with all the stuff that went on when our parents were here, the school stayed open."

"That's pretty shoddy on everyone's part, though, isn't it?" Viola asked, puffing her cheeks out. "I mean come on, how many people does that thing have to hurt before McGonagall - or worse, the Minister himself - says enough's enough?"

"Only one person's been hurt, and she was back in class two days after the incident." Hydrus pointed out. "Stop blowing things out of proportion. You'll just add to the rumor mill. Lord knows it doesn't need help."

"I'm perfectly happy with there only being one attack." Vega said. "Maybe it left."

"With the track record of both this castle and our families, do you really believe that, Potter?" Asked Hydrus, looking across the table.

Blushing faintly, Vega glanced off and scowled. "Don't bog me down in reality, Hyde. Let me have my fantasies. I don't want to think about any more people getting hurt. Or worse..."

"Merely talking in fact." Hydrus said, shrugging.

"Just once, I'd like you to not sound completely sure of yourself." Grumped Viola, stabbing a bit of egg rather violently. "...Ugh, not even hungry anymore..."

"Push the plates aside and rest your head on the table. No one's going to care." Suggested Vega. "Rest your eyes for awhile. If you fall asleep, we'll be sure to wake you when breakfast is over..."

"Nah, I'll be alright. Just gonna be moody today, I guess." Sighed Viola. "Hate getting like this. I don't feel like myself at all right now. Also, before it slips my mind, just where the heck have you been escaping to lately? And how the heck have you been escaping? We're being escorted back to our common rooms after dinner."

"Not telling." Vega said, eyes closed. "Being small has its uses sometimes, though."

"Saying things like that is going to do nothing but make us watch you even closer, you realize." Said Hydrus. "Why can't you just tell us where you're going?"

"Think you had the right idea, Hydrus. Let's just write our parents and ask. They'd know, right?" Viola said, looking over at her brother.

"You do and you're not getting your Christmas present this year." Vega said, smiling innocently.

Viola's attention snapped back to the blond. "Yooou wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

Viola and Vega had something of a stare-off after that. One that was only broken when students began to leave the Great Hall at the end of breakfast. Hydrus had to end their test of wills by threatening to dump the remainder of his pumpkin juice on them if they didn't knock it off by themselves. Vega was the first to break eye contact, causing Viola to let out a triumphant cry. As they walked out of the room, heading towards the front doors of school, a sharp crack of thunder caused them to jump.

"...Great. Dealing with awful plants in awful weather. This is the worst day." Vega muttered darkly, shoving his hands into his pockets and slouching down.

"We might be able to make it before the rain starts if we hurry." Hydrus said. But just as they pushed the doors open, the rain responded and began falling. "...Or not."

"You jinxed it, you jerk." Viola said, swatting her twin on the arm.

"Ow! I jinxed nothing! The longer we stand here, the worse we'll be when we arrive. Come on." Hydrus said, stepping out into the rain and breaking into a run.

"The worse _he'll_ be when we arrive, he means. That much hair, he's gonna look like a drowned rat by the time he gets to the greenhouses." Viola said, grinning. "Come on. I'll try to cheer up if you stop pouting."

"I'm not pouting!" Said Vega, who very much looked like he was pouting. "...But alright."

Throwing her arm around Vega's shoulders, Viola's grin grew. "We'd better hurry. I want a chance to wring the water out of his hair before he dries it magically. He always has a fit when I do it!"

Vega snorted at the mental image as the two took off into the rain, which was rapidly deciding it wanted to be a downpour. The intensity of the storm changed for the worse at least twice as the two Slytherins ran for cover, and with each change, Vega shouted a progressively colorful series of insults at the sky. By the time they arrived at the third greenhouse, the two were positively drenched and Viola was giggling her head off.

As they entered, it was to find Hydrus having just dried himself. However, with Vega's surly shouts at the heavens making her laugh, Viola didn't mind so much. In fact, his mood nearly caused her to lose their House some points during the lesson. At one point, Professor Longbottom was telling them how much to water their howling toadstools, Vega muttered very quietly next to her, "Yeah, I've got some water for ya, fungushead." Viola had to bite down on her lower lip to keep from laughing outright. A snort did escape her, causing the professor to glance her way. But she covered it up by saying she'd held in a sneeze. When Neville had turned his back, Viola gave Vega a mild smack on the arm.

The dreary, rainy day persisted for the entirety of the morning, with only the rain clearing up by the time lunch had rolled around. Everyone's mood had improved, however, since Potions had been the second class that day. Potions was always a good way to fix a bad mood for Vega, since he eagerly soaked up what Professor Fedorov had to say. Even though the day was mostly going over what they'd already learned in preparation for actually making the potion, Vega took the opportunity to burn the recipe into his mind. It wasn't even a particularly interesting potion. But then, he reasoned, nothing they learned that year would probably be anything but mundane.

As they walked back toward the Great Hall at noon, Vega had his arms crossed behind his head and was idly pondering why he was so good at Potions when he was only coming up average in almost everything else.

"Everyone seems to favor one thing more than others. Viola likes Charms, I'm finding Transfiguration most interesting just because it seems to be the most challenging thing we have this year." Hydrus said. "You probably like Potions because it's more reliant on practicality than magically doing things. I'm sure magic will get involved on down the line, but right now, it's essentially like cooking. You get the right ingredients, add them at the right time in the right amounts, and there you have it."

"Guess I can thank dad for teaching me to cook, then." Vega said. "Odd that he was such a good cook but sucked so much at Potions. Even with Professor Snape teaching it, you'd think he'd have been able to grasp ahold of it better, huh?"

"He hovered towards Defense. And Quidditch, I suppose." Hydrus said.

"At least we're all good at different things. If we were all good at one class, we wouldn't be able to help each other out with homework as well as we do now." Said Viola.

"Yeah, if Hyde wasn't making sense of Ulrika's blasted mumbo-jumbo, I'd be doing even worse in that class." Viola said, making a face. "Why she can't just explain it better is beyond me. How're we supposed to figure anything out when she barely tells us what to do?"

"Expects us to read ahead, I suppose." Hydrus said.

"Pretty crummy method of teaching." Vega continued. "Fedorov and Tadyggbo at least tell you what you're doing and why. But it's in a good way, not in a Binns way. He just drones..."

As they pushed open one of the doors into the Great Hall, Viola shrugged. "Why McGonagall doesn't do something about him, I'll never know. I've heard talk, though. He was apparently that boring when he was alive, too. Did Dumbledore owe him a favor or something, and now that his ghost is here, he just needs something to do?"

"I try not to think about that stuff too much." Vega said, shaking his head. "Gives me a headache."

"Food needs to be here faster." Viola said, sitting at her usual spot at the table's end. "I'm starving. Barely ate anything this morning. I wanna get some energy back in me!"

"I daresay you have plenty of that as is." Hydrus commented, sitting next to his sister. "In fact, I daresay you rarely need _more _energy. You already generate it naturally."

Sticking out her tongue, Viola replied, "Oh, be quiet, Hydrus. I can't help it if I'm naturally energetic!"

"I'm just amazed you can pack away so much food and not gain weight. Where does it all go?" Asked Vega.

"Hey! I have a very high metabolism, thank you very much. And hoofing it around this castle is pretty good exercise besides. It's pretty hard not to be slim around here." Viola said. "Wonder if that's why the castle's a castle - so the students would get exercise running all over the thing going from class to class."

"Wouldn't surprise me." Said Vega. "Seems like something the founder would've done. Personally, I just want justification for the moving stairs. Nothing worse than ticking off Peeves then having the stairs go against you so you can't escape him."

"I still want to know where he's getting his supply of balloons from. He can't just magic them into existence, can he?" Viola asked.

"Beats me. I don't know how poltergeists work. I've never seen him with a wand. Do you think he went to school here? And if so, was his name _always _'Peeves'? That's a name you give to your kid if you want him to get beaten up." Vega said.

"Maybe it was his last name." Suggested Hydrus. "...Great, now you've got _me _thinking about it."

"You're welcome." Viola said, grinning. "Hey, if we have to be stuck wondering, so do you. For all we know, there could've been a guy name o' Billy Peeves here once. He died in a tragic water balloon accident and now he and his supply of self-repeating water balloons haunt the school!"

"...I repeat: You do not need more energy." Hydrus said.

"'Billy Peeves.'" Repeated Vega, giving a weird look at Viola.

"Well I don't know! What kind of first name would you give a kid if your last name was Peeves?" Asked Viola.

"Jeeves." Vega said.

"Jeeves Peeves?!" Viola cried. "What was he, a butler?"

"Hey, maybe he was the caretaker. They're all jerks and weirdos, aren't they?" Vega said, perking up.

"'And remember, our caretaker, Jeeves Peeves, does not like water balloons being thrown at him.'?" Said Viola, imitating an old man's voice. "...Okay, my head's starting to hurt. New line of conversation, please."

But before a new line of conversation could be started, the doors to the Great Hall opened up and in walked Gabrielle Delacour. She wore a serious look on her face and was walking as quickly as she could without breaking into a flat-out run. She went straight up the center of the room and around the staff table, where she leaned over to whisper something to McGonagall. There was a brief, inaudible back-and-forth for a moment before the assistant nurse nodded and started making her way out of the room again.

As the doors to the room closed, the headmistress got to her feet and cleared her throat. "I do not mean to alarm anyone, but Miss Delacour has brought something of great importance to my attention. There has been a second attack. However, something doesn't quite add up. There were no claw or fang marks on this young man. There was, however, a rather telling mark around the boy's throat, as though someone or something had lifted him up by it. However, there is one other oddity to this attack. Were the attacker using both hands, one might make the case that one of our stronger sixth or seventh year students might be behind it. However, that quite literally cannot be in this case, as there was only a single mark around the boy's neck. Whatever choked him did so with one hand, and left a mark that very nearly wrapped completely around his throat. The boy has already awakened, thankfully, but he does not remember anything about what happened to him. One thing, however, remains clear: no chimaera could have done that."

"So... there's more than _one _monster running around?!" Called out one of the older Ravenclaw students.

"We are unsure at this point. After lunch has ended, which will be in a few short minutes, I will be once more leading the staff through the castle to try and find what has done this." McGonagall answered. "And while we are obviously quite worried about this turn of events, the severity of the attack is not as bad as the first. A wise decision would be to travel in numbers if at all possible, and to keep your eyes and ears open to anything out of the ordinary you might see or hear. If need be, we will call the Aurors in to investigate. However, we obviously do not wish to trouble them with our problems when they're still so wrapped up in their own. Especially if we can find where these creatures are getting in. Once everyone is present and accounted for in their common rooms tonight, we will be putting protective wards around the entrances. Nothing will be able to get in, but you will be able to get out, should the need to escape arise. After the wards go up, I will be leading the staff into the lower dungeons to search for any possible breaches of the castle."

"What if you don't find anything, though?" Asked a Gryffindor boy. "You couldn't find the chimaera last time, what makes you thing anything will be different?"

"We don't, simply put." McGongall stated, leveling her stern gaze at the boy. "However, we cannot sit idly by when students are getting attacked. And while nothing terribly serious has occurred yet, we also cannot sit and wait for that to happen. If it comes to it, I may have to try getting ahold of an old school artefact that has not been within these walls for a good many years now. I will be owling my acquaintance to see if he might be willing to let us borrow this artefact, which would help us keep an eye on anything out of the ordinary. Now then, finish eating and proceed to your common rooms. Prefects, I want you to be alert and have your wands out. One prefect at the front of your House's students, one at the back. I have to organize how the staff will be splitting up."

Vega watched as she sat back down, the other teachers leaning in close as she began talking in a low, fast voice. "It can never be simple, can it?" He muttered.

"It seems that way at times, doesn't it?" Hydrus replied, sighing and getting up as the Slytherin prefects rose. "At the very least, you can't sneak off to wherever it is you sneak off to."

"Wouldn't be so sure of that. Not going to try, but..." Vega said. "And here all those idiots were finally starting to quit bothering me..."

"Don't let it get to you." Viola said, walking around the end of the table to ruffle Vega's hair. As he tried swatting her away, she continued, "Just ignoring them and keep moving forward."

"Easy for you to say. They aren't being physical with you, Vivi." Vega said, finally grabbing hold of the Malfoy girl's wrists. "There! Stop doing that. My hair's already a mess, it doesn't need your assistance, thank you very much."

"Tsk. And hey, we're not goin' anywhere. Anyone tries anything with you, they have to try something with us. Right, Hydrus?" Viola said, looking to her twin.

"Right." Said Hydrus, nodding once. "Though how threatening a three-man group of first years would be is anyone's guess."

"Stop killing the good mood before I can even get it going." Viola grumbled, her lower lip jutting out slightly.

"Merely being realistic, Viola. We can hold our own against other first years or maybe second years, but above that and in large numbers? What would we be able to do?" Hydrus asked.

"Well... I dunno." Admittedly Viola, her pout increasing. "But even so..."

"I know what you were trying to say, Vivi. I appreciate it, but I don't want you guys getting hurt just because of me..." Vega said.

"Bah. If we get hurt it's because people are jerks and we're too loyal as friends." Viola said, turning her nose up at her own sulky mood. "Come on. Let's get with the group before the prefects start yelling at us..."

"Gonna be a fun night, isn't it?" Vega asked, shaking his head as he and the twins headed for where the other Slytherins were assembling.

Hydrus smirked wearily. "Isn't it always?"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Two days after the attack, the boy - a fifth year Hufflepuff - still could not recall what it was that had tried to strangle him to death. Or why it had stopped before accomplishing such a goal. The mark on his throat was still visible, though it was healing up nicely. And, aside from having a bit of a sore throat, he seemed to be recovering just fine. Though whenever Vega saw him, he now had a small army of his fellow Hufflepuffs around him. They hadn't shown up for lunch yet that day, but he just assumed it was due to how slow they tended to move. The victim himself seemed almost irritated with his friends, as he kept sneaking away from them to get to places faster.

The staff's thorough search of the castle had once again yielded no results, something that was very clearly ticking off the headmistress to no end. She was obviously taking the failure poorly, and one could almost hear the gears in her mind turning as she tried working out what the devil was going on in her school. While she appeared in the Great Hall for meals, she was leaning back slightly in her chair and not really paying much attention to anything. Her eyes were focused on a point across the room, and it was apparent she was lost in thought.

"At least she's actively trying to figure it out." Muttered Vega, his head down on the edge of the table. "Dad says Dumbledore seemed to actively try and get out of any complications that occurred in this place. Wish she'd hurry up, though..."

"Yeah, the atmosphere's taken a real dive." Viola agreed. "People are back to looking over their shoulders, jumping at the slightest noise, and thinking they hear something in the walls. Bit stupid if you ask me, but..."

"But something's definitely getting in and causing these attacks. Moreover, it doesn't seem to be the same 'something' that attacked last time." Hydrus finished.

"You've seen the mark on that guy's neck. That's too weird-looking to be human. Almost like something with too-long fingers grabbed him. So... wouldn't ogres and trolls be right out?" Asked Vega, glancing up. "What other kind of human-shaped monsters could've done that?"

"Not sure." Hydrus said, brow creased. "Alone, that wouldn't bother me. The fact that McGonagall can't work it out either, however, is. If she's stumped, then what chance could we have of working it out?"

"How long 'til you think she gives in and asks the Aurors to come lend a hand again?" Viola asked. "Think our dads will stop by?"

"God, I hope not. That's the last thing I need." Vega said, scowling. "Bad enough they've returned to glaring at me, I don't need dad turning up again and making things worse..."

"Not his fault people are idiots." Viola countered.

"At least they've already eased up on the escorts between places during the day. Hopefully it'll die down quick enough and we can all focus on school work and not whether I have anything to do with this mess or not." Grumbled Vega, his head thumping back down. "...Heck with this, I'm going back to the common room. I wanna get outta here before everyone else does."

"You _actually _going to the common room?" Asked Viola.

"Yes, I'm _actually _going to the common room." Vega replied, giving his friend a withering look. "I'll probably be sunk down in that chair in the corner, reading. Break out the Potions book and skim through it some more or something, I dunno."

"Want us to come with you?" Asked Hydrus.

"Nah, you don't have to end lunch early for my sake." Vega said, shaking his head. "Just come grab me before Charms starts up. If I lose myself in that book, I'd probably miss class."

"Will do." Viola said, saluting Vega as he got up.

Rolling his eyes, Vega turned and headed out of the Great Hall. Though he didn't want to admit it, he had had a mild, annoying headache for the last couple of days, one that didn't seem eager to go away anytime soon. It wasn't enough to disrupt his studies or prevent him from getting to sleep, but the simple fact that it just wouldn't go away was starting to nag at him. Medical spells could work all sorts of wonders, but couldn't nix a cold or drive off a headache. As far as he was concerned, it was completely backwards. Shouldn't they have started from those things and worked up to replacing broken bones and missing limbs?

Rounding a corner, Vega quite literally bumped into someone. Wobbling back, he quickly said an apology at the same time as someone else. Looking up, he saw it was the boy that had been attacked. He was looking over his shoulder, back up the empty hall.

"Better get to the Great Hall soon if you want to eat. Lunch is almost over." Vega said, giving him a weak smile.

"Yeah... if they had their way, we'd be eating alone." Said the boy. "Sorry for running into you. Was trying to put some distance between me and my 'guard.'"

"Yeah, same. I was too busy thinking to pay attention to where I was going. Don't let me hold you. If I see them, I'll point them towards the library." Vega said.

"Hey, thanks! ...Hey, Potter?"

"Yeah?"

The boy nodded at him once. "You really don't know what's going on?"

"Wish I did." Vega admitted. "Might help deflect some of the accusations."

The Hufflepuff started to say something, but the sound of his guards caught his attention and, after saying goodbye quickly, broke into a run after skirting around the corner. Vega watched him go, letting out a grumpy sigh as he turned and started walking again. Well, at least the guy didn't seem to be harboring any kind of vendetta against him. Now he just had to hope he was a good enough liar to convince the boy's friends that he hadn't gone to eat.

Sure enough, a small pack of around five students came into view at the opposite end of the corridor, talking quietly among themselves and pointing in different directions. When one of them spotted Vega, he pointed and the group looked up. Blowing out a quiet breath, Vega idly wondered why the hell he was about to cover for someone he didn't even know. Maybe it was just that he knew what it was like having people staring at you all the time. It wasn't a good feeling, even if those people were your friends.

"If you're going to ask, yes, I did see him." Vega said as he and the group closed distance on one another. "Looked like he was heading for the library."

"The library?" Repeated one of the boys. "Damn, how'd he get to the stairs without us noticing?"

"Probably took off this way to trick us. I'll go up and check it out." Said the only girl in the group.

"What about us?" Asked another of the boys.

"I dunno, make friends with Potter!" Called the girl as she ran up the hall.

"'Make friends with Potter.'" Mimicked one of the other boys, making a face. "Why the hell would we want to do that?"

Glancing down at Vega, the first boy nodded. "It's your damn fault Allan got hurt. Why the hell did you even come here? Bad luck followed your old man around and he's happily passing it on. Meaning the rest of us have to suffer when Hogwarts gets attacked."

"Oh, like I have any control over what happens!" Snapped Vega, glaring up at the boy. "I didn't ask for this!"

"Yeah, I bet." Said one of the others. "And you know what else I bet? I bet you and your friends are probably trying to figure out a way to find whatever it is that attacked Allan and stop him yourselves, right?"

"Now why would I want to do that?" Asked Vega, his glare moving from one Hufflepuff to the next.

"To try being a 'hero' like your dad was!"

"Yeah, because I can 'be a hero' when my grades suck. Great plan, why didn't I think of that?" Vega said, smiling up at the boy. "What the hell am I going to do, whip up a batch of cooling salve to throw on the monster?!"

"Getting pretty bold, Potter." Said the boy, stepping forward. "If I were you, I'd watch my mouth."

"Good thing you aren't then, isn't it?" Vega said. He wasn't sure where this vitriol was coming from, and he definitely wasn't sure this was the time or place to get in a mood over what was happening. But his mouth seemed to be in control at that moment, and any signals his brain might have tried giving to make him stop weren't being heard.

"You know," Said the first Hufflepuff. "I think he's being smart with us, lads."

"I do believe you're right." Said another. "The question is, what do we do about it?"

"Why not just beat him the hell up? We do a good enough job of it and he'll have to leave, won't he? He wouldn't want to risk staying here, knowing we might corner him."

"You kidding? We could get expelled for that, you idiot!"

"Hey, if you want to leave, be my guest. The three of us will do it." Said the first boy. "Right?"

Two of the others nodded. The third cast a glare between the lot of them before looking at Vega for a moment. "Dammit..." He whispered, breaking off into a run past Vega, leaving him with only the three Hufflepuff fifth years. Slightly better odds, though that didn't mean much, considering.

"Now then... do we do this the fun way, or do we use magic?" Asked the first Hufflepuff.

"Fun way." Said the second, smirking. "Last time I hit anyone was two years back."

"God, I still remember the sound that poor guy's arm made. How the hell'd you even _do _that?" Asked the third, wincing.

"A lot of useless knowledge and anger." Said the second. "Wonder what that'd do to Potter here..."

"Keep him from writing his parents and weeping about being beaten up, probably." Said the first. "I'm surprised he hasn't started crying already."

"Won't take much, probably." The second laughed. "He seems to get all mopey if the weather's even a little off. Can't imagine what actually taking a hit'll do to him."

"Are you jackasses going to stand there or are you going to get this over with?" Vega asked, feeling a rise in his chest. This really wasn't going to end well and he knew it. But, he reasoned, the faster he got it over with, the faster he could recover. Maybe when he woke up, the rumors would have died back down and he would be able to resume a normal schedule without being the target of the school's hatred.

"Ohhh, getting cocky, Potter? What, you think you can actually take even _one _of us out? Tell ya what, I'll give you the chance. You two stand back, I'll let him get a free hit on me, just to show I'm a nice guy. Sound fair, Potter? I won't do anything until you hit me, but once it connects, it's on." Said the second boy, moving to the front and smirking down at Vega.

"You sure you want to risk it?" Vega asked, returning the smirk.

Laughing, the boy sneered at Vega. "You just asked what the worst you could do to the monster was. If you're able to even punch correctly, I'll be surprised."

"Who says I'm not going to cast something at you?"

"I've heard what kind of grades you get. I'm not scared, Potter."

Drawing his wand, Vega gripped it tightly and surveyed the Hufflepuff. He had a good foot or so of height on Vega, and what looked like a good hundred pounds. He was easily the biggest of the three, in more ways than one, and punching him anywhere in the chest or stomach probably wouldn't have much impact. Vega wracked his mind for spells he knew he could actually cast in this kind of situation, but was coming up blank.

"Whenever you're ready, go for it. No warning, just _try _and do something." Said the boy, holding his arms out.

Vega wasn't positive, but he was almost certain that he had never wanted to knock out the teeth of a guy more than he did at that moment. The guy was asking for it! And, were he able to think of a way to accomplish this goal before getting beaten to a pulp, he would definitely try it. Unfortunately, he was still unable to think of a way to attack. Okay, so attacking was out. Vega's mind switched from offense to defense, and he pondered outright escape. He might be able to tangle the guy's legs up. If he ran, he'd only have to get away from the other two. That almost sounded doable.

Vega aimed his wand high, planning to quickly bring it down when he actually cast the spell. He was hoping to catch the Hufflepuff boy off guard. One well-place Jelly-Legs Jinx and he could potentially be back in the Great Hall before they caught up. And, moving as quickly as he could, he fired the spell off and immediately dug his shoes into the ground to spin and bolt. The boy wasn't sure what he had been hit with, since it didn't seem to do anything. But when he tried moving, his legs wouldn't obey and he flailed for a moment before crashing to the ground.

"Get him!" He bellowed, causing the other two to take off after Vega.

Vega was starting to regret eating as much as he had now. He had been trying to fill up to make the headache go away, but it definitely felt like it was coming back to haunt him now. He felt slower, and running on a full stomach certainly didn't make him feel any better. But the adrenaline coursing through him wasn't allowing him to slow. But it had worked! It might have taken a few seconds for the spell to kick in, but he had jinxed that guy! Grinning, Vega glanced over his shoulder. He had a good distance on the other two and, if he was able to keep this pace up, he would be to safety in no time!

But as he rounded another corner, he glanced down the hall and saw something that caused his stomach to lurch. Hydrus and Viola were coming up it, arguing about something. When they saw Vega, they stopped, Viola waving and calling out to him.

"What're _you _running for, then?!"

Vega came to a halt in front of them and, as fast as he could, said, "Being chased by a pair of very angry Hufflepuffs so we need to get going again come on run!"

"What?! What're they chasing you for?" Viola asked.

"Oh god, look, I'll explain while we're running, just--"

"There he is!" Shouted one of the Hufflepuff boys as the two of them finally came around the corner.

"Crap!" Vega swore. "Come on, we've gotta move!"

"Can't run forever." Hydrus said. "Let me try and difuse this, Potter."

"What?! Hyde, are you out of your damn mind?! Come _on_!"

"Uh... maybe Vega's right, Hydrus." Viola said. "Those guys are big and... really mad..."

Hydrus put out a hand to stop to the both of them and walked towards the Hufflepuff boys, who slowed down when they approached. He started to ask what the problem was, but only about half finished the sentence before being slugged in the gut as hard as one of the boys could throw the punch. He dropped down to his knees, arms wrapped around his midsection, trying to figure out where the air in his lungs had just gone. He could hear both Vega and his sister yell out his name, but it sounded garbled to him. And somewhere behind the pain, it felt like he was going to be sick.

"Leave my brother alone, damn it!" Viola growled, drawing her wand and advancing on the boys. "Who the hell do you think you are, huh?!"

"We _think _we're the guys who are going to beat the three of you to a bloody pulp! We get you three to leave the castle and the monsters will stop attacking!" Snapped one of the two Hufflepuffs.

"What are you, stupid?!" Snapped Viola right back. "Removing us from the school isn't going to stop anything, you idiots!"

"Better watch your mouth, little girl, or you'll end up like your brother." Growled the other Hufflepuff, balling one of his hands up again.

"Vivi, get back here!" Vega yelled, running up and grabbing ahold of Viola's shoulders. "We can--"

But Vega's grip on her wasn't keeping her from moving forward. Raising her wand, she snarled, "Oh _will _I now? Not above hitting girls younger than yourselves, huh? I bet you're great with the ladies, aren't you?"

"Don't make them angier!" Hissed Vega.

"Better listen to him, girl." Said the first, stalking towards Viola. "You aren't helping his cause any."

"If you think I'm going to turn and run after seeing you hurt my brother, you're dumber than you look." Said Viola, her tone icy. And, quickly lashing her wand through the air, she growled, "_Tarantallegra_!"

The boy who was coming toward her got hit by the spell, causing his legs to lose control. Unable to advance, he yelled for his friend to deal with Viola, whose aim changed from the first to the second. He managed to defend against a second spell cast by Viola, who tried to use the same thing on both of the Hufflepuffs. But as he was bringing his wand up to throw a spell at her, he got hit from behind. His legs shifted together and stayed that way, causing him to topple over.

Shakily getting to his feet, wand drawn, and looking absolutely livid, was Hydrus. Viola rushed over to him to see how he was, but just as she got to him, purple light slammed into her side and sent her flying violently into the wall. Vega went to run over to her, as did Hydrus, but the two of them also got hit with curses.

Coughing, Vega looked up to see the third Hufflepuff, the one whose legs he had jinxed, walking up to the two groups. Glaring down at his friends, he undid the problems with their legs before he spat, "You two are useless! What the hell have you been doing, playing games?!"

"Sorry." Muttered the first. "We thought..."

"Yeah, that's the problem. You tried _thinking_." Spat the third. "Stay the hell on the ground and let me do this. You two grab his friends and make sure they don't get up and try casting anything!"

The two did as they were told, forcing Hydrus and Viola to their feet. Hydrus was still incredibly wobbly, and Viola looked like she was just about to pass out. She had one hand on her side, where the spell had caught her, and she looked like she was fighting back tears. Vega scrambled to his feet, but a quick punch from the largest of the three Hufflepuffs sent him back down to one knee. He clutched at his chest, wheezing and coughing as he tried to catch his breath.

"Why the hell did you three have to come here? Why _here_?! Things were _fine _before the three of you turned up! Now all of us have to watch our backs for fear of something trying to kill us! We remove you three, we remove the entire problem. I was going to try holding back on you, Potter. But you had to be smart with me, didn't you? Now look what running has got you. Your friends tried keeping you safe and now they're worse than you are. That's going to change, though. I don't care if I get expelled for this. Everyone else will be safe! It'll be worth it!" Snarled the Hufflepuff, turning back toward the other two, who still had tight grips on Hydrus and Viola.

"Don't touch them, dammit!" Yelled Vega, slowly standing back up. "If you want to beat me up, _fine_! Beat me up! Just leave them alone!"

"If I did that, you wouldn't learn anything, Potter." Said the boy. "You have to learn your place in life. And your place --" He paused long enough to drive his fist into Hydrus' stomach. Hydrus cried out, doubling over as best he could while being held upright, and coughing hard. "-- isn't here!"

"Stop it!" Vega cried out, slowly moving toward the Hufflepuffs.

"Just remember, Potter. All of this pain could've been avoided. You're going to leave this school one way or another." Said the boy, moving over to Viola. And, before Vega could even raise his wand, the boy had once more thrown a heavy punch. Already being on the verge of collapse from the previous attack, Viola blacked out almost instantly at being hit in the stomach. The boy holding her let her go, and she stopped like a rock to the ground.

"Vivi!"

"And now, Potter... it's _your _turn!" Yelled the Hufflepuff, whirling around, drawing his wand, and sending shooting another burst of purple light at Vega. It was the exact same spell that had caught Viola off guard, and Vega was caught in the chest by it, throwing him back up the hallway. He landed on his stomach, and one of his arms had been twisted in an unnatural way. They weren't trying to get him sent home, they were trying to kill him!

Viola and Hydrus had been hurt because of him, and now he was going to end up with most of his bones broken unless he could think of a way out. But his brain didn't want to work. The pain shooting through his body was all-consuming. He tried getting back to his feet, but got kicked in the side and was sent back down.

"Stop trying to get up, you spoiled little brat." Said the Hufflepuff, reaching down and grabbing Vega by the hair. And, in one swift movement, lifted Vega's head up before slamming it down into the stone floor. He let out a laugh, and lifted his head back up for another go. But as he did, Vega's good arm lifted, wand shakily raising to aim at the boy.

"Oh? And what do you think you're going to do to me now, Potter?" Asked the boy. He pulled back on Vega's hair, forcing the Slytherin's face to look upward at him. One of his eyes was nearly swollen shut, and blood was trickling freely from his nose and the corner of his mouth. "What do you think you can possib--"

A searing red light shot wildly from Vega's wand. It missed the Hufflepuff boy, but when it hit the ceiling, it began to ricochet around the hallway. It eventually slammed into the floor next to the Hufflepuff who was still holding Hydrus. It caused the boy to jump back, letting go of Hydrus, who crumpled to the ground, still holding his stomach. The spell fizzled out, and when it did, all three Hufflepuffs turned to look back at Vega.

The one who had been holding onto his hair quickly let it go and backpedalled just as fast. His wand was up, as were the wands of his fellow Hufflepuffs, ready to counter whatever Vega tried doing. And, somehow, Vega managed to slowly rise to his feet again. Despite being unable to focus on anything, and despite being unable to feel anything other than the pain wracking his body, he wasn't going to go out without a fight. Strangely, it almost felt as though he was a puppet on strings. His wand arm raised, but he couldn't feel it move. Another burst of red light shot out, but he didn't remember casting it. He wasn't even sure what the spell was. He just knew he had to stop them before they did anything else to his friends.

The next shot also missed, fizzling out after two ricochets. Okay, so one wasn't going to cut it. Raising his wand, he began whipping it through the air, multiple sparks flying from it and bouncing all over the place. The three Hufflepuffs quickly brought shields up, and for the most part, they seemed to do the trick. But whether it was luck or whether the lead boy just wasn't good at Defense, one of the sparks managed to break through his shield. It slammed into and through his right arm, just above the elbow. The boy let out a howl of pain as the spark quickly formed into a small, thin spike, the glow dying out. A moment later, his eyes went wide and he let out an ear-splitting scream. The small spike had produced more spikes, in all directions, which had shot back out of the boy's arm.

He dropped to the ground, and his friends were at his side, trying to figure out how to remove the spiked ball from inside his arm. Blood was dripping out of the multiple punctures it had created, and he was still yelling, which made his friends also yell to be heard over the noise. Vega staggered forward, raising his wand again. One had fallen, but two were still left. But even as he raised his arm again, he knew he wasn't going to last. Despite feeling as though someone else was controlling his movements, his vision was getting blurred and dark around the edges. But the Hufflepuff trio were still too close to Hydrus and Viola. They could still strike if he faltered. He couldn't let it happen.

Drawing in a ragged breath, he screamed, "_Get away from them_!"

Vega's scream apparently was louder than the noise the Hufflepuffs' were, as they suddenly jerked their heads up to look at him. There was something in their eyes, something Vega couldn't recognize in his half-unconscious fit of desperation. He raised his wand up again, ready to send another volley of sparks out, but his arm fell limply to his side. The world spun and went black and, unable to keep going any longer, Vega's body finally succumbed to the injuries he had taken.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Happy New Year, everyone! I hope everyone's holiday season went well, and I'm sorry I didn't get this up before year's end as I planned on. But the holidays kept me busier than I'd anticipated. Combined with a bad case of writer's block, it kept me from completing this lengthy chapter for awhile. I hope it was interesting enough to make up for the downtime.

So, not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, we see that something is definitely not quite right with Vega. What it is, however, won't be actually revealed for awhile. At least, the present plans are for it not to be revealed for awhile. You can speculate all you want, but it won't be quite right.

And the spell Vega was using? No, to answer a question I know some of you might be wondering, it wasn't the Bolt Thrower. It was something a bit more malevolent. What this is, and what it's ACTUALLY a small part OF won't be revealed until... I think late in book 5? Somewhere in there. The normal one will be worked on sometime between books 2 and 4, though, so you'll find that out sooner. Consider it one of Vega's signature spells, though. At least for now, that's the plan, anyway.

Until next time, folks!


	9. Justice

Minerva McGonagall, it could be said, was never a lenient person. When someone acted up around her, she would bring the hammer down on them. She was a firm believer in never giving her students an inch with which to get away by. The more severe the crime, the more severe the punishment. And she was currently prepared to give out the strongest punishments since she had taken over for Albus Dumbledore. Earlier in the night, Professor Sinistra had stormed into her office, looking more livid than McGonagall could ever recall seeing her. It took almost fifteen minutes before she could calm the Astronomy teacher down enough to make sense of her furious ramblings. She hadn't wanted to believe the story she had then heard, as she didn't wish to believe anyone in the school could ever be that cruel to a fellow student, let alone a first year. She had immediately thought back to when the children of the Death Eaters had infested the school. But that was a long time ago, and most of the enmity between the four Houses was kept strictly to Quidditch matches.

Vega Potter and the Malfoy twins had been rushed to the Hospital Wing, all of them in bad shape. Vega was the worst, with multiple broken bones and a severe depletion of his magic. Viola had escaped with two broken ribs and a bruised shoulder, and Hydrus had mostly escaped unharmed, a rather ugly welt on his stomach aside. A few of his ribs had been bruised as well, but none had been broken by the curse that had struck him. The twins had been patched up and were free to go within an hour, but Vega had remained unconscious, something Madam Pomfrey had told McGonagall might last a very long time.

They weren't the only ones wheeled into the medical staff's care, however. One of the boys who had injured the three Slytherins had been brought in with an odd, spiked object lodged into and poking through his arm. Madam Pomfrey had been able to deftly remove the object, which Gabrielle had said looked like the business end of a morning star, and had the Hufflepuff boy as healthy as could be expected, given the blood loss. The Hufflepuffs had been released under the watch of Professor Longbottom, their head of house who, McGonagall noted, also looked as angry as she had ever seen.

The two groups were found by one of the Hufflepuff trio's friends, who had gone off to look for the boy who had been attacked by the second monster. She had run into Professor Sinistra on her way to the Hospital Wing. Professor Sinistra had told her to find Professor Longbottom. Together, the two professors got the six students up to Madam Pomfrey's care. The two Hufflepuffs who hadn't been injured had been rather quiet the whole trip, comforting the one whose arm had been turned into a pin cushion aside. Sinistra had demanded the uninjured Hufflepuffs explain what had transpired in that hallway. Once she had found out, she had gone off to collect the headmistress.

McGonagall was, of course, appalled. After spending time in the Hospital Wing and discussing the severity of the situation with all involved, McGonagall had come to her decision. The three students who had committed the attack were to be suspended for no shorter than a month's time. When they returned, they were to be monitored and given detentions if they put the slightest toe out of line with anyone. When the Hufflepuff trio and their head of house had left, McGonagall turned her attention on the ones who had been attacked. The Malfoy twins had been awake and coherent for most of their stay, and both seemed to be recovering just fine. This left all eyes focused on the only one who wouldn't be leaving the room under his own power that day.

That had been five hours ago. McGonagall wasn't able to get any sleep, though she had tried. She would have to address this during breakfast, though the Malfoys certainly weren't going to like being put in the spotlight. The staff had enough to worry about from outside forces invading their school without having to constantly be on the lookout for students harming other students. And while she knew she couldn't halt fights entirely, she was jolly well going to ensure that no one would try to gang up and attack anyone else over their own paranoia. She had known from the minute she had penned the acceptance letters to the children of the Potters and the Malfoys that there might be trouble following them into Hogwarts. It was a sad state that, despite two attacks by two seemingly different monsters, the gravest injuries had come from a group of students.

She stared at the flames lazily crackling away in her fireplace, trying to allow them to soothe her troubled mind. But it was doing her little good. Times like this made her wish she had Dumbledore around to consult. But she had managed to keep herself from doing so thus far. She kept in touch by fire and by letter, as the former headmaster was always curious as to the goings-on at the school he had loved so much. McGonagall didn't want anything to cause Dumbledore enough alarm to bring him back. That wouldn't do anyone any good. The press would have a field day with it, for one thing. And for another, Dumbledore had retired for a reason. He had spent the years since his departure in a cabin at the edge of a small wizarding settlement, near a forest. He was also starting to very much look his age, something McGonagall had attributed to not having so much adrenaline pumping through him from dealing with Voldemort, monsters in the castle, and other assorted worries.

Times like this, thought the headmistress as she got up from her chair, she really did miss being able to have a good, stiff drink or three. But the headache she was sure she would have after that day's breakfast would trump any hangover. A part of her was glad she didn't have much in the way of proper headmistress duties that week. It would at least give her a little down time. She had already sent off letters to the Hufflepuff boys' parents, informing them to come and collect their children. She had also talked to Pansy Parkinson and Nymphadora Tonks about their childrens' conditions. It took a rather herculean effort on her part to prevent Tonks from storming the castle and exacting revenge on her own. She had told the woman that if she wanted to come see her son, she should do it the following day, when it was light out. Tonks had reluctantly agreed, and McGonagall had no doubt that she wouldn't be the only one getting precious little sleep that night.

"One more go." She muttered to herself as she slipped into her bedroom. Staring with irritation at her bed for a moment, she headed toward it to attempt to get at least a bit of rest that night.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Gabrielle Delacour sat on a stool beside an occupied bed, staring at the young man laying unconscious in it. She had, of course, seen and heard of worse things than the beating that had occurred to Vega Potter, but it didn't make it any easier. Madam Pomfrey had once said that, as she got accustomed to being a mediwitch, she would naturally develop a tougher skin for that sort of thing. But this was all too familiar to her, and she couldn't shake a worry deep in the pit of her stomach. When she had visited Hogwarts when she was just nine, she had remembered being very awestruck of this boy's father. She had spied on him more than a few times and, on the odd occasion she could, managed to get up close when he was sleeping. He hadn't looked like some kind of grand hero all of the books had described him being. He was just an ordinary boy. A very cute ordinary boy, but an ordinary boy nonetheless. Her puppy love for Harry had vanished into the aether years ago. But seeing his son in the hospital bed, seeing how broken he had been on arrival, and seeing how much smaller he was than Harry had been had all been very difficult for her.

She had kept a close eye on Vega since his arrival, feeling some sense of duty beyond what was required of her. His parents had dropped by a few times in the days since the incident had occurred. The first time seeing Harry in person since they had been young, Gabrielle had been momentarily stunned. He had more lines in his face than a man his age should rightfully have. The stress from his time fighting Voldemort, and now with dealing with whoever was behind the attacks throughout the country, was taking its toll on Harry. It didn't matter what time of day he stopped by, he always looked tired. Perhaps her crush on him hadn't evaporated as fully as she wanted to believe. Harry certainly didn't need to constantly worry about his son in addition to the case he and the Aurors were working on.

Reaching a hand out, Gabrielle brushed Vega's hair away from his eyes. As she was pulling her hand away, the muscles in Vega's face twitched a little. Seconds later, he let out a quiet whimper and cracked open his eyes a little.

"Nn...?"

"It's alright." Whispered Gabrielle. "Don't try to move too much, alright? Scans are saying you're mostly healed, but..."

"...Hospital?" Muttered a very groggy Vega, licking his too-dry lips. "...Vivi? Hyde?"

"They're both fine." Murmured Gabrielle. "Both were healed up and out of here the night you all came in. I can send for them if you'd like."

When Vega gave a little nod, closing his eyes, Gabrielle smiled and got to her feet. Heading for the office, she slipped in and told Madam Pomfrey that Vega had finally regained consciousness. As she went to pen a quick missive to the twins, the hospital's matron strode out to run another analysis of her patient. Keeping her note brief, Gabrielle walked over to the window, where a large barn owl was perched.

"Take this to Hydrus or Viola Malfoy, alright? Whichever's closer." She said, attaching the note to the owl's leg.

Clicking his beak, the owl pushed off and went into a dive. Smiling, Gabrielle turned and headed back out, eager to see how Vega's health was looking. As it turned out, he came up clean. Aside from being incredibly hungry and thirsty, Vega was asking Madam Pomfrey a number of questions, which she was patiently answering. He learned, in better detail, what had happened to Hydrus and Viola, along with the boys who had attacked them. They had been removed from the school for the time being, and the headmistress had delivered something of a rousing speech the morning after the attacks had occurred, getting rather vehement over the whole subject of House on House violence. The Hogwarts students had been told, in no uncertain terms, just what awaited those who so brazenly dared to attack their fellow students, and said that if needed, she would increase the punishment length each time, until they reached full on expulsion. The students had all been very quiet during breakfast that morning, with the Hufflepuffs in particular keeping their heads low.

The boy who had been attacked, one Allan Verrance, had also stopped by to check on Vega numerous times, feeling extraordinarily guilty over the whole situation. He had been aghast to find out what his friends had done, and had apparently caused quite a commotion in the Hufflepuff common room after learning. And while Vega wasn't surprised to find out both his parents and the twins had stopped in numerous times, he had been taken aback slightly to find out that Lapis Eskander had stopped in precisely twice to see how his condition was doing. On both visits, he had simply stated that with one of Slytherin's matches rapidly approaching, it simply wouldn't do it their Seeker was out of commission. He never stayed more than a few minutes, and never spoke aside from informing the two mediwitches as to why he was even dropping in.

A short while later, Vega had finished changing back into his robes - which had been fully repaired - when the doors to the hospital opened and the twins came in. Viola shot across the room and embraced him, causing him to flail about for a moment until Hydrus could pull her away far enough for Vega to breathe. Blushing, Viola had quickly apologized before asking how Vega was feeling. Responding truthfully, Vega had told the two he felt perfectly fine, circumstances considering. He did, however, mention that he really, really wanted something cold to drink. His throat felt as dry as the Sahara and, waving to Gabrielle and Madam Pomfrey as the three left, he suggested heading down to the Great Hall to talk further.

"...Hey, guys? What day is it? I never did ask." Vega said, walking with a hand against the wall.

"25th." Hydrus replied. "You've been out for awhile this time, Potter."

"Urg... no wonder I feel like hell." Muttered Vega, making a face. "Anything interesting happened since I apparently knocked myself out?"

"Not a whole lot. Everyone's been kind of on-edge, though. I think seeing you up and about will help a little." Viola said. She had ahold of one of Vega's shoulders, ready to catch him just in case he stumbled. "What the heck did you do to that kid, anyway? None of the staff said they could work out what you had done. Madam Pomfrey asked your dad when he came by once - we were there at the time - and he just gave her this odd smile. So _he _obviously knew..."

"Dunno. Everything about the fight's kind of a blur from my end. I don't remember much after they put you two out of it. You guys doing alright?" Asked Vega.

"Viola had to reign her energy in long enough for the soreness around her ribs to go away, but that was about it." Stated Hydrus, earning him a weak glare from his sister. "We're perfectly fine. And, since I know you're probably going to try, you aren't allowed to apologize. We should have listened when you said to run."

"Yeah..." Agreed Viola, turning her attention back to Vega. "Wasn't the best decision ever, looking back. But hey, at least a few positive things happened because of it. Those jackasses who attacked us have been suspended, and everyone's gonna watch 'em like hawks once they come back."

"And we haven't even had a single glare leveled at us since McGonagall's rant on the matter." Hydrus added. "At the very least, we're no longer being seen through hostile eyes. For a few days after the attack, the both of us were a touch on the jumpy side."

"Always felt like someone was sneaking up on us." Viola said, frowning. "Was an awful feeling. But that passed, and we've been doing as good as can be expected. Worried sick about you, of course..."

"I need to compare my track record to dad's." Grumbled Vega. "Bet I've been in the Hospital Wing more than he had been as this point."

"At least you seem to've inherited his quick recovery times." Viola said, squeezing Vega's shoulder. "Come on. Lunch is still a bit off, but we might be able to dredge up some drinks before then if we catch someone on staff. Can they do that? Summon up things before the meal's started?"

"I don't see why not. Presumably they can contact the house elves when needed." Hydrus said. "I guess we'll find out."

"Yeah." Vega said, letting his eyes unfocus slightly. "Hell of a first year so far."

Viola glanced aside. "You sure you're up for this?"

"No. Which is why we're going. Won't do me any good to hole up in the Pit forever." Vega said.

"The what?" Viola asked.

"I'll show you later. It's where I was escaping to." Vega explained. "May need to hole up there later, depending on how I'm feeling. You guys seen Eskander around?"

"Not other than at meals." Hydrus said. "Why?"

"He's stopped by a couple of times, apparently. Gabrielle said he never really said much, just that he was worried I'd be out as Seeker. God, I don't even want to think about being in the air right now."

"That should pass. We still have four days before the match." Hydrus replied. "Don't push yourself, Potter. If we have to forfeit this one, we have to forfeit this one. We'll be able to make a comeback. One loss won't kill our momentum."

"We just have to make sure we win all the others." Viola said, blandly. "No pressure at all. Really though, try not to worry about it. That won't help you recover at all. Let's get some food in you, yeah?"

"Yeah. Something really light. Toast, maybe. If I'm feeling up for it, I'll have something a little more solid." Vega said, stepping into the Great Hall as the twins pushed open the doors. Only a handful of students had arrived, and a good deal of the staff was still absent.

"Wanna ask?" Viola said, looking to Vega.

"I can wait. Not going to die from thirst. Be perfectly happy to just sit down and not move for a bit, though." Vega said, wincing as he took his place at the end of the Slytherin table. As the twins sat down, he fidgeted for a moment before twisting his torso to the right, producing a small series of pops from his back. "Ow. Owww..."

"Oh jeez, are you okay?" Asked Viola, looking worried.

"Ask me again in about five minutes." Said Vega, slumping forward against the table. "Felt like it needed to pop, but I didn't think it would be that bad..."

"Speaking of bad, we'll help you catch up on school work if you'd like." Hydrus said. "You haven't missed too much, to be honest. I'm not sure if Fedorov will ask you to stay after the next class to try brewing the potion we made earlier in the week. I can point out what it was, though, so you have time to memorize it."

"Don't want to think about catching up on school work, either." Vega sighed. "That's the worst part of being knocked out, you know. It isn't being hurt, it isn't laying unconscious for so long, it's the work load I'm stuck with after I wake up."

"Hey, be glad you accomplished that last part. Was starting to really worry you'd be out of it for good..." Viola said, frowning. "This is the longest you've been out of it, ya know..."

"I know. It's not like I plan for this stuff to happen, though." Vega said, his voice quiet. "Are _you _okay?"

"Am now that you're awake." Said Viola, putting her arm around Vega's shoulders and pulling him into a hug. For once, he didn't try breaking free. "So tell us about this 'Pit' place..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

A good forty minutes later, the Great Hall was noisy and packed, something Vega wasn't terribly minding for once. A few people had come over to see how he was doing, in fact. Aside from the rest of the Slytherin team, who Viola and Hydrus had to practically hex to keep them from hefting Vega over their heads in celebration, the boy that Vega had helped out that day had come over. He looked as though he hadn't gotten much sleep lately. The two had talked for awhile, with Vega repeatedly assuring the Hufflepuff that he didn't blame him for what his friends had done. Allan looked more than a little relieved to hear this, but still apologized quite a lot. The two had parted on amiable terms, with Allan saying he would be cheering for Slytherin in the upcoming match against Gryffindor.

Lapis Eskander and his two female friends had also stopped by after they had entered the room, arguing about something. Samantha Alven had been the one to prod the other two, nodding towards Vega. When he had turned to look, Vega had caught an odd expression on Lapis' face for the briefest of moments. It was quickly replaced with a smirk as he and the girls walked over to exchange a few rounds of banter with Vega and the twins.

"You'd better fly. I've flown against Terrana and Haque and neither put up the same fight you do." Said Lapis, referring to the Seekers from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

"Any advice against Terrana?" Asked Vega.

"He's nearsighted. Not a great thing for a Seeker to have. Wouldn't surprise me if he's out next year. You just have to hope the Snitch appears off a good ways. If he catches it within range, chances are he'll get to it before you. He knows how to push his broom." Lapis stated, crossing his arms. "You won't have the speed advantage this time, Potter. You'll have to hope you luck out."

"Great. I get laid up in a coma or something for awhile and have to try beating _that _after I get out?" Vega groused. "Man, this sucks."

"Don't worry too much. Like I said, he's not got the same kind of fight you do. He does have one other rather glaring weakness... but I think it'd be fun seeing you try working that one out by yourself." Lapis said, smiling wryly. "It's just a matter of using both of his... quirks... to your advantage. That's all I'm saying."

"Oh, thanks a lot." Vega said, giving the Ravenclaw Seeker a weak glare. "Very cute."

Lapis snorted. "It wouldn't be any fun if I told you everything. Good to see you back on your feet, Potter. I might have bowed out of playing if you hadn't gotten better."

"I can't be that good a match." Vega said.

"You're interesting to watch." Lapis stated. "You change in the air, whether you admit it or not. And not in the way that caused that blackout. You get a lot more serious, your muscles loosen up, and your eyes are constantly darting around."

"Yeah, Lapis wouldn't shut up about you after your last match." Chimed Valerie Carmichael, causing Lapis to blush and glare at her. "What?! It's true! We had to listen to you carry on for almost two hours!"

"It's true." Added Samantha. "You did go on a really long time."

"I was trying to find a weakness!" Lapis said through gritted teeth. Turning back to Vega, his cheeks still faintly glowing, he continued, "Anders Terrana has two major weaknesses. Elisa Haque has more than four. You, however, I can't work out. That's what makes you so interesting. And that's why I want to fly against you. I want to figure out your weaknesses."

"What about you, Eskander?" Asked Vega, a smirk of his own forming. "What're your weaknesses?"

"I spend far too much time analyzing my opponents." Said Lapis.

"Obviously. Anything else?"

"Figure it out on your own, Potter. Now, if you'll excuse us, we should probably eat something before lunch actually finishes." Lapis said, starting towards his own House's table, the two girls following behind.

"I think his cockiness is one major weakness of his." Hydrus said, not bothering to look up from his plate.

Vega looked over at Hydrus, then Viola. "You got any info?"

"On Eskander? Maybe." Viola said, smiling faintly.

"Maybe? What is 'maybe,' Vivi?" Asked Vega. "C'mon, if you know anything I could use against him, tell me!"

"Dunno if it could be used against him, though." Viola said. "I think those girls of his are a pretty big weakness, though, don't you?"

"They do seem to trail after him a lot. ...Seriously, which one do you think he'll wind up with?" Asked Vega.

"I still think he'll find some quiet girl from another House." Hydrus stated, reaching for his goblet. "Of course, he'd need to find someone who could actually tolerate him first..."

"Abrasive enough to remove paint from a wall." Agreed Viola.

Vega sighed. "Ah well. I guess that's part of the fun, working your opponents' weaknesses out as you play against them. You guys almost done?"

"Yeah, why?" Asked Viola.

"Wanna show you that place I mentioned." Vega said, the volume of his voice lowering. "You two gotta promise to keep it secret, though."

"Of course." Said Hydrus. "So... where will we be going?"

"You'll see." Vega said, smiling. He was feeling far better than he had been, and his stomach had been gracious enough to let him eat a good bit more than he figured it would. He actually felt full without feeling ill, something he hadn't been expecting. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt like showing the twins the Pit so soon, though he had a sinking feeling it was due to having a lot of school work to catch up on. Trying to get it all done in the rumble of the Slytherin common room would be a trial of its own. "Come on, let's get outta here. We might have to wander awhile if anyone follows. Don't want anyone finding it."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Alright, now walk through the wall." Vega said, motioning towards the false piece of hallway in front of him.

"A part of me wants to believe you. A part of me thinks you want me to walk into a wall." Viola said, raising an eyebrow. "You do it first."

Rolling his eyes, Vega stepped forward and through the illusion, his head poking out a moment later, grinning. "Will that do, madam, or shall I need to prove myself further?"

"I'll prove your head into a pie later if you keep being smarmy." Viola said, giving her friend the evil eye. "Alright, we're coming. So what is this place?"

"Snake Pit. Dad found and named it. Apparently, he and mum spent most of their time down here after they got together. It sort of became everyone's hang-out spot or something." Vega said, walking down the stairs and giving Levi the password. The little snake hissed quietly and the door popped open slightly. "I've been coming down here to think. It's quiet."

"Interesting. Did the headmaster know?" Asked Hydrus, stepping into the room and glancing around. "Why is there a hole in the ceiling?"

"That's where the beholder was." Vega stated.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Dad summoned a beholder to protect the Pit. Apparently nothing ever happened, so mum let him go free. Dunno what every happened to him..." Vega said, looking up at the ceiling. Following this bit of pondering, Vega gave the twins a quick tour of the other rooms. Upon seeing the bathtub, Viola had let out a long, low whistle, saying it looked like the tub back at the manor.

"It's a bit smaller, but yes, it is rather... extravagant, isn't it." Hydrus had added.

Throwing himself back onto the couch, Vega blew out a sigh. "Figured you two'd work it out sooner or later. No point in needlessly delaying the inevitable, ya know? All you have to do is give the password and the door'll open. I can open it from this side if need be. Figure it might be a good place to work on homework, actually."

"Well, it certainly beats the din of the common room." Said Hydrus.

"Can we get food whenever we want?" Asked Viola.

"As far as I can tell, you can. Your dad ever tell you about the house elf the Malfoys lost? He works here now. Made friends with dad, since he was the one who tricked your grandfather into freeing him." Vega explained. "Dad said this place used to belong to a former headmistress or something, too. So I guess it makes sense that you can custom order whatever you want at any time..."

"Father never spoke much about that man." Hydrus said. "He told us that Lucius Malfoy worked for Voldemort, and that he betrayed almost everyone by the end. Seemed rather bitter about the whole ordeal."

"Guess that's understandable." Vega said, frowning. "So... if you guys want to make the trip with me, I was thinking about knocking my homework out right now. Get it all done tonight, eat down here today, and just push that annoyance away so I can focus on more important stuff."

"Like the match?" Asked Viola, grinning.

"That and figuring out what's been attacking." Vega admitted.

"Do you think whatever it is could get in here?" Hydrus asked, leaning against the back of the couch. "Are we safe?"

"Dunno. I assume so, but..."

"But?"

"Sometimes, I get this weird feeling... like something's watching me." Vega said, glancing up at Hydrus. "Dunno how else to explain it. I've searched the rooms and I've found nothing. Dobby says he and the other house elves haven't seen or heard anything. So I dunno. Maybe it's just the hole in the ceiling making me nervous."

"Possibly." Hydrus said, turning around and looking up once more. "Between the quiet and having that up there, I can see how you'd get to feeling like you weren't alone. Have you tried doing anything about it?"

"What, the hole? What can I do? I tried looking up there, but the thing goes too deep and in too many directions. It's like a series of tunnels. And you guys are the only ones I've told so far..." Vega said.

"Have you tried McGonagall? Surely she knows where this place is." Viola suggested.

"Nah. I figure she's too busy with what's going on to indulge my paranoia." Vega said, shaking his head. Getting to his feet, he sighed. "Anyway, enough stalling. Shall we go get our books?"

"If we must." Groaned Viola. "At least we'll be able to speed it up a bit. You didn't miss too much, really."

"Good. I want to be able to focus on the match. After that's over with, _then _I can worry about the monster. Monsters. Whatever." Vega said.

"A chimaera and something large enough to heft a student up with one hand." Hydrus said, slowly. "I honestly can't see any similarities at a glance, but..."

"But no one's gotten a good, clear look of either." Viola finished. "So who knows. The first girl was panicked, and that guy with the jerk friends pretty much got blindsided, yeah? What do you think that means?"

"It means," Hydrus said, following Vega as he walked to the door, "That this is probably all just a series of warm-ups. Isolated attacks on lone students couldn't possibly be the plan of whoever set this into motion."

"I'm more worried about when the next attack will come." Vega said, opening the door and stepping aside so his friends could exit.

"And who'll be the target." Viola added. "I know it sounds terrible, but I'm glad no one we know's been attacked."

"Don't even get me thinking about that." Vega said. "I've tried not to so far."

"So what's the best way to get back out without being seen? How can you tell?" Asked Hydrus as the three walked up the short flight of steps.

"No one comes down this way, best I can tell. I should probably get a mirror or something and figure out how to make it invisible. That way we could just stick that out through the fake wall and check." Vega said. "And honestly, it doesn't matter too much. The door's still password protected. Unless one of us gives the password, no one's getting in."

"Unless they make a lucky guess." Hydrus said.

"Not with the current password." Vega stated, grinning crookedly.

"I suppose that's fair enough. So, are we ready?"

"As I'll ever be. Let's get this work over with..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Hmm. Chapter seemed a little short to me, but it clocks in at standard chapter size. Not sure what that means, aside from the fact that it was an in-between chapter and those tend to usually be a bit lackluster. A lot of things going on behind the scenes, of course. About three or four plot points are brought up, and that's just the stuff I can think of without scanning through it again.

Games have slowed my writing a bit. Sudden influx of new stuff. That and writer's block. Terrible bit of writer's block, actually. I just have NOT wanted to sit down and focus my efforts on this or my side project. And it's getting rather irritating, as I'm decidedly not making my two chapters a month self-imposed deadline. Hopefully, once I figure out how to squash this writer's block, I'll get a bit better. We'll see, I suppose.

Plus there's the problem that what I really want to write about is like two damn books of material away. I've rearranged two of the books, actually. What was 5 is now 4 and vice versa. Mostly because it just works better. Mostly because book 4 is a SERIES of big changes. Book 4's gonna be really effin' weird anyway. Most of it isn't going to take place at Hogwarts. And that's all I'll say about that for now.

So many characters to surprise you with... at least one of them is going to happen at the end of this book or the very beginning of the next. I may have this one show up over the Christmas break. Just to make people go "Wait, what the hell? That can't be right!" The next big character moments are both in book 3. One due to a new character (technically) showing up. One involves a character you've already met!

Ah, I love teasing future revelations.


	10. As Night Falls

Lapis Eskander winced as he watched a Bludger come within inches of slamming into Vega's back. The Slytherin Seeker whirled around and yelled something to his team's Beaters, who nodded. Gryffindor was giving their long-time rival House a run for their money. Their Beaters were extremely solid, and had been keeping the heat on Vega most of the match. It was starting to get under Vega's skin, as he was flying more erratically than Lapis was used to seeing. Frustration was evidenced by his expression and the fact that he was being so vocal to the rest of his team.

At the same time, none of the Gryffindors had been able to get the Quaffle past Julie Carmack, Slytherin's Keeper. It didn't matter very much, as Slytherin's trio had also been rather unsuccessful in scoring many goals. Certainly not enough to prevent an upset should Anders Terrana get to the Snitch before Vega. His team was giving him enough room to account for his nearsightedness. And while Lapis was also keeping an eye out for the Snitch - something of a reflex rather than a conscious decision - his focus primarily remained on Vega.

Whether the blond wanted to admit it or not, he really did change in the air. Whether it was due to being able to vent his frustrations or whether he simply didn't acknowledge there was anything different was unknown. Vega always started matches the exact same way, as well. He'd kick off, fly just above the stands, all while slowly spinning in a circle. When he came to a stop, his eyes began darting around, becoming focused. He would pay almost no attention to his opponents unless the Snitch was closer to being theirs. That's when the real flying would start, with Vega zoning out everything else around him to focus solely on capturing the Snitch before the other Seeker. And though only one race for the Snitch had happened in the ninety someodd minutes the present match had been taking place, it had been rather spectacular. Vega had nearly plowed headlong into one side of the stadium, managing to only just pull himself off course. It had taken more than a few moments for him to snap back to attention afterwards, as he seemed to realize how close he had come to seriously injuring himself. It had also been the only point in the match where Slytherin's Beaters had been able to keep the Bludgers away from Vega.

The internal workings of Lapis's mind were halted abruptly when, right next to his ear, Samantha Alven had murmured, "You're staring at him again."

Making a face, Lapis gritted his teeth. "I am not _staring _at him."

"You've stared at him the entire match. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to bore a hole through him." Said Samantha, smirking.

Breaking his unintentional gaze, Lapis glared at his friend. "Listen, you. The Chasers aren't making this match interesting. Terrana may as well be staring into the sun. Who the devil else am I going to be watching?"

"There's a difference between watching someone and what you were doing." Samantha declared, turning her attention back to the players. "I'm not chastising you. I'm just pointing out that you may want to be careful. You ought to be glad Val didn't come. She'd be harping on you twice as much as I have."

"I know who to be careful around." Lapis said, his voice going quiet, almost getting lost in the din of the crowds. "But thanks. Sometimes, I forget. It'd be a lot easier if..."

Throwing her arm around her friend, Samantha grinned. "Hey, we've known each other for ages. If I can't watch your back, who can?"

Returning a ghost of the grin he was given, Lapis nodded. "Yeah, I know..."

"Still... you've got a lot to think about. Val told me about that letter you got. Sucks that you won't be able to head home for Christmas. I'll probably be inviting the others over on Christmas Day. I'm sure McGonagall would let us come pick you up. It'd be better than staying behind here in the castle."

"I may. I guess it all depends on if they get this job of theirs done by then. They really didn't say. I wish they weren't busy all the time. Even this past summer, father was out on business most of the time and mother was fielding letters from coworkers at all hours. It's a miracle I managed to make it here at all." Lapis said, scowling. Crossing his arms, he added, "Father's been incredibly nervous as of late, too. A few days before school began, I had gotten up in the night to use the bathroom, and I'd overheard them talking..."

Samantha frowned at the odd tone Lapis's voice had taken on. "Something bad?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest. He seemed really worried that someone was going to send him after 'that thing' that someone else had been working on. No idea what he was talking about, but... I've never heard him sound that frightened in my life. Whatever his boss asked him to inspect, he definitely didn't want to go." Lapis explained.

"'That thing?' Nothing other than that? Do you think that's where they went?" Asked Samantha.

"Entirely possible. And no, mother hushed him after he said that, and I couldn't make out anything either of them said after that point. Father's handled dangerous materials for the Ministry in the past, but he's always been confident in his abilities. That something had him that nervous makes _me _nervous..."

"I'm sure he'll be alright." Samantha said, giving him a one-armed hug. "Try not to think about it too much."

"That's what I was trying to do before _someone _called me out on it." Said Lapis, his tone dry.

"Yes, yes, I'm a harpie. Back to your Potter-watching, then. Anything been happening? I've been more focused on you than them."

"Not particularly. Potter's still looking agitated. Bad form. He needs to work on it. It's also one more thing for me to try and exploit. That and hopefully he'll be rusty after the holidays are over." Lapis said.

"I've never heard you downplay your own abilities like that. Worried he'd beat you to the Snitch?" Asked Samantha.

"Amongst other things." Said Lapis, brow creasing slightly. "I could beat him to it, but I need to start pushing myself like he does. Dangerous as it is, it's effective. He seems to black out the rest of reality when he goes after the Snitch, though. I'll have to train myself to not do that. That way I can keep from smashing into a wall at top speeds well ahead of time."

"I'm amazed he pulled out of that. Looked like he was seeing spots for awhile, though."

"Mm. I'm sure the Malfoy girl will give him an earful after the match ends."

"_If_ it ever ends. This rate, the house elves will have to serve dinner out here." Groused Samantha.

"I'd be fine with that. Might need to get up and stretch pretty soon, though. These seats aren't very good when you have to sit in them this long." Lapis muttered, shifting forward in his chair. "Think Valerie's still down by the lake?"

"Probably. The clouds cleared away. She's probably well into a nap at this point. If I didn't think Potter would pull a victory off ten seconds after we left, I'd suggest going down and drawing on her face while she's asleep." Samantha said.

"She'd kill us if we did." Lapis said, glancing aside. Then, pausing only for a moment, he smirked and continued, "Let's do it."

"Not going to worry about the ending?"

"I don't think it'll be ending any time soon."

"Want to place a wager on that?"

"...How much?"

Samantha tapped her chin for a moment before a sly grin rose. "Whoever loses admits to thinking up the idea to draw on Val's face."

Sucking in a sharp breath, Lapis blew it out slowly. "That's crazy. There's no way I'm going to take that kind of a chance. Potter would win just to spite me if I did."

Laughing, Samantha got to her feet, stretching for a moment before turning and looking down at Lapis. "I guess. I'll think of something, though. And if Val doesn't wake up, we can leave a note saying we've come back to tough out the rest of the match. Deal?"

"Now that sounds a good deal fairer. Deal." Lapis said, pushing himself up. Casting one last glance out at the field, where Vega was flying in a slow circle around the middle, Lapis shook his head and turned to leave the Ravenclaw stands.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

As it turned out, the match went on for well over three hours before coming to a stop just after eight that night. Slytherin had come out on top by a mere ten points, and Vega had nearly collapsed afterwards out of exhaustion. The victory party had lasted well into the night, however, and it wasn't until nearly three in the morning that he finally got to drag himself into bed. McGonagall had delayed dinner so they could eat up at the castle to warm back up, and there had been a bit of a commotion at the Ravenclaw table, with Lapis being chased out of the room at one point.

Vega was thankful that there wouldn't be anymore Quidditch until after the Christmas holidays had ended. He was eager to head home and lounge around for awhile. No worrying about monsters, no worrying about three hour Quidditch matches. Just relaxing. School work had lessened as the holidays got closer, as none of the first years could really concentrate enough to get any learning done. After being away from home for so long, everyone seemed eager to see their families again. Viola and Hydrus would probably come over the day after Christmas, as per usual, and Vega had already written his parents with what he wanted to get the two of them. As his mother hadn't admonished him in the reply, he figured they would be fine.

It felt strange to get back on the train in Hogsmeade, though he wasn't entirely sure why. He knew a few students who were planning to stay at the castle for one reason or another. Perhaps he was just worried that the monster would take the chance to strike again. When he finally took his seat in an empty compartment, he aimed his scowl at the window.

"What'd that window ever do to you, then?" Asked Viola, sitting next to him. Across from the two, Hydrus sat, pulling his hair over his shoulder.

"I'm not grumpy about the window." Vega explained. "I'm grumpy about leaving people I know at school with something that could kill them."

"You worry too much." Viola said. "With less students to watch, they're probably safer over the holidays than they would be otherwise! The staff knows what's up, and they're all staying back this year. Heck, the students staying would probably be escorted around. Wouldn't surprise me if McGonagall had things planned to keep them together during the day, just to be on the safe side."

"I guess. Just feels like something's off. Something's still bugging me about this mess, I just can't figure out what. Maybe mum and dad will be able to figure something out." Vega said, sighing as he leaned back.

"I'll ask our parents as well. It couldn't hurt, at the very least." Hydrus said. "Let's try not to spend the entire ride home worrying about the school, though."

"Hydrus is right." Said Viola. "There's more important things to discuss! Did you see Lapis when we were getting ready to head to the carriages?"

"No, why?" Vega asked, glancing aside.

"He was being hugged." Viola said, a wide grin on her face.

Perking up, Vega asked, "Which one?"

"The quieter of the two. Samantha, I think. I still get them mixed up a bit. The one that wasn't chasing him all over the place that one night." Viola said. "They were talking really quietly, then she leaned in and gave him a hug! And not just a quick one, she really pulled him into an embrace."

"Was Valerie watching?" Asked Vega.

"Yeah! She didn't seem to mind at all is the weird thing!" Viola exclaimed. "What does _that _mean?"

"Maybe it means they're friends, and friends sometimes hug one another that way. You hug Potter like that all the time." Hydrus pointed out.

"I do it because I know it embarrasses him." Viola said, nudging Vega's arm. When he glared weakly at her, she continued, "But it wasn't even like that. C'mere, Vega, turn sideways."

"What, why?" Asked Vega, doing as he was asked, despite thinking it wasn't a good idea.

"Gotta show ya, don't I? Here, look, she did this." Viola scooted over and wrapped her arms around Vega, pulling him tightly against her body and resting her head against his shoulder for a few seconds before pulling away. Vega was blushing furiously and trying to turn away to glare out the window again. She laughed and mussed his hair, causing him to swat her hand away. "See? Shouldn't Lapis have been doing that? He wasn't blushing at all!"

"Maybe it means that the two of them have been a couple for awhile now? Childhood friends that become closer over the years, perhaps?" Hydrus suggested. "And stop doing that. Potter's liable to pass out."

"Stow it, Hyde." Vega said, teeth gritted. Clearing his throat and still not looking anywhere near Viola, he added, "And that doesn't mean much, does it? Maybe he's just used to her hugging him like that. He doesn't seem as easily embarrassed as me..."

"Even so, being together with someone at our age? I haven't even thought about boyfriends yet." Viola said, scooting back to her original spot.

"Something I remain grateful for." Hydrus stated.

"Dunno. Hard to tell with that guy, though. I don't know what to make of him, though. He acts really odd sometimes. Has ever since we met." Vega said, shaking his head slowly. "I guess we'll see after the holidays, though, won't we? If they're still acting close or holding hands or something, then it's settled."

"Yeah, I guess so." Viola said. "Hate that we have to wait that long, though. It's gonna drive me loony. Guess I'll just hafta pester Hydrus to play games to distract me!"

"I'm _not _playing chess with you anymore." Hydrus said, suddenly looking extremely wary of his twin sister.

"Oh, come on! Just because I beat you twenty games in a row last year..." Viola began.

"'Just,' she says." Muttered Hydrus. "May as well have beaten me about the face with the board, for as humiliating it was."

"Hey, I gotta figure out ways to get under your skin, don't I? You act too cool for your own good, anyway. Not healthy! Gotta have someone like me to take you down a peg or two every so often." Viola said, smirking.

"Too cool?" Repeated Hydrus. "Just because I'm not bouncing off the walls like you do..."

"You're the polar opposite of me, ya know." Viola said.

"And now I'm cool?" Asked Hydrus. "Doesn't that make you... I don't know, 'uncool?'"

"Well, it does seem like I scare the other first years..." Viola said, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"That's because you're too loud at breakfast. No one should be that noisy that early in the day. Normal people need an hour or two to get going, Viola." Hydrus said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm abnormal then, am I?" Viola asked, getting to her feet, stepping forward, and looming over her brother.

"Your words, not mine." Said Hydrus.

"I'll give _you _abnormal! C'mere!" Viola cried.

"You'll give me abnormal? What does that even m- gah, don't!"

Vega snorted, watching as Viola flung herself at Hydrus, knocking him over onto his side and tickling him for all she was worth. Hydrus flailed about in a manner decidedly unbefitting of Hydrus, crying for his sister to knock it off between peals of laughter. It wasn't until he yelled that she was, in fact, normal that she relented and hopped off of him, flexing her arms and declaring herself the victor. As Hydrus pulled himself up and tried to straighten his robes and hair back out, he muttered something under his brief. Viola whipped around, fingers wiggling menacingly.

"It was nothing about you!" Hydrus said, his voice a pitch higher than it should've been. Clearing his throat quickly, he continued, "Go sit down. The witch with the snacks should be coming by before too long."

"Trying to ply me with food, Hydrus? ...Yeah, alright!" Viola said, flopping back down next to Vega and keeping an eye on the door.

Hydrus blew out an inaudible sigh before turning to cast a weak glare at Vega, who was trying very hard not to grin. "What?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all." Vega said, turning to look out the window again. A moment later, however, he reached for Viola's hand, taking hold of it and raising it up in victory. Viola snorted at this, once more declaring herself the winner, and causing Hydrus to roll his eyes wearily.

The train ride continued on well into evening, at which point they finally stopped at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. None of the three had really packed, since they still had plenty of clothes at home and, things needed for school work aside, had packed light. Once out on the platform, finding their parents was a quick enough ordeal. And, after Viola threatened to give Vega another embarrassing hug, the Potters and Malfoys parted ways.

Tonks had come to pick her son up, since Harry was out on business with Minister Scrimgeour in regards to the happenings around the country. Tonks, who had long since declared that she would one day become a better driver than her mother had been, had insisted they get a 'normal' car or two. But as neither of the two had known a lick about vehicles other than how to drive them, they settled for a blue four-door by some company with a name that Tonks had found funny. Vega set his suitcase in the back seat before hopping in on the passenger's side door.

"'Another' hug?" Tonks said, grinning at her son as he buckled up.

"Don't ask." Vega groaned, blushing faintly again. "It's Vivi being Vivi. I take it dad's with Wolf?"

"Scrimgeour." Tonks said, turning the car on and flipping on the headlights. "He should be home late tonight, but you can wait up if you want. Not like you've got much work, yeah?"

"Yeah, just a few papers to go over. Should be able to get it all done in a couple hours." Vega said.

"Don't get used to it. They pile on more every year." Tonks said, shaking her head. "Dunno about you, but I'm starving. Since Harry's going to be late, what say we just grab a pizza on the way home? You didn't stuff yourself on sweets, did you?"

"I am entirely okay with pizza." Vega said, grinning. "I don't think dad'll mind, either."

"He'll pout over having to heat it up, though." Chimed Tonks. "That's what he gets for getting himself into another mess, though. His loss!"

"How're things going?" Asked Vega. "Do they know who started those fires and attacked those people yet?"

"Not yet, but Harry says he and Lock are starting to get somewhere. Mostly a bunch of idiots running around trying to make people think Voldemort's back. Fat lotta good that'll do, he doesn't have a body to return to anymore. He'd come outta the Void as a puddle of Voldegoop."

Snorting, Vega asked, "Anyone coming over this year?"

"Mum's stopping by, as usual." Tonks said, smiling. "Annnd I did get a call from one other person. Bit of a surprise, so I won't say anything. You're just going to have to wait and see!"

"Aww, come on! Just a little hint?" Pleaded Vega.

"I don't know..."

"Pleeeease, mum?" Vega said, giving his mother puppy dog eyes.

"...Oh, fine. Stop looking at me like that. Going to swat Harry upside the head for teaching you to do that so well. One hint, that's all, understand?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"It's a girl." Tonks said, grinning.

"Wh... that's not a hint at all! Most of the people you guys _know _are girls!" Vega whined. "Come on, gimme a proper hint!"

"Nope! One hint was all you got!" Tonks said.

"If I guess, will you tell me if I'm right?" Asked Vega.

"Not a chance." Stated Tonks. "It'll be no fun if you know. Come on, enough of our mysterious guest, what kind of pizza do you want?"

"Do you really want to ask me that? Think of the heartburn. Of course, you could always persuade me for something less greasy and delicious if you just told me who w-"

"Oh no, you aren't getting away with it that easily." Tonks said. "I'll suffer the indigestion if it means keeping you surprised, young man."

"Ah well. I tried." Vega said. "I want the same thing I had the day before I left for Hogwarts, then."

Tonks winced. "You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch."

"Fighting fire with fire. That's all. You and dad taught me well. Phone in your handbag?"

"Yeah, left pocket. Going to call it in yourself?" Asked Tonks.

"You have to keep your eyes on the road, don't you?" Asked Vega.

"Point. Off you go, then."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Vega was sprawled out on his bed a little less than an hour later, regretting having that extra slice and wondering why all of the pepperoni in the world hated him. He was far too small to be eating a pizza that big. And while a part of him was positive he would never eat pizza again as long as he lived, another part was idly wondering if he could get custom-made pizza sent up to the Pit's dining room. That train of thought ended when a rather nasty burp escaped him, causing him to groan.

"Not doing that again... how did I forget how awful those things are?" He wondered aloud to himself.

Closing his eyes, he let out a long yawn. It was good to be back in his own bed again. And while his room seemed slightly dusty, he finally felt like he could truly relax. No monsters, no _worrying _about monsters, no classes to make an idiot of himself in, and no rumors being spread about him. Just a lot of delicious, terrible pizza and his overly-soft bed. A bed he was having a very difficult problem not falling asleep in at the moment. He wanted to wait up for his father to return, but the pizza was making a very convincing argument for about twelve hours of deep sleep. The pizza was winning the argument, as well, as Vega was entirely sure he had lost the ability to sit up.

"Oh well. No reason to anyway." He murmured to himself, smiling as he buried his face in a pillow.

In the end, he lost his fight with sleep, drifting off for longer than he had planned. And while his parents wouldn't let him completely squander his days away sprawled out on his bed, he did an admirable job of attempting just that. As it always seemed to do, time passed quickly when he was relaxing, and before he knew it, Christmas Day had arrived. It had been snowing lightly for most of the night, as it turned out. And while it wasn't exactly a White Christmas, it was close enough to satisfy him.

Trudging down the stairs some fifteen minutes after waking, the smell of breakfast cooking alerted him to the fact that his father was actually hanging back that day. At least temporarily. Harry had been out with the Aurors almost every day thus far, coming home well after Vega had gone to bed. As he walked into the kitchen, Vega called out, "Home for the day?"

"Planning on it!" Said Harry, minding the bacon as it sizzled up. "Sleep well?"

"Too well. Got a nasty kink in my neck." Vega said, rubbing at the sore spot. "Speaking of, how are you running on what appears to be no sleep at all?"

"A trait you'll pick up as you advance in Hogwarts, I assure you." Harry said, chuckling.

"Because of studies or monsters attacking? Neither option sounds very good." Vega said, sitting at the table.

"Little of column A, little of column B. Any word on what's happening?" Asked Harry.

"Not really. It was pretty quiet after that second attack. Not complaining, mind, it's just odd."

"A good term to use when describing Hogwarts, that." Harry said.

"Mum not up?"

"Do you really need to ask? Once the smell of food wafts up there, she'll come shuffling down, I'm sure. We'll open presents after breakfast. Oh, and don't tell your mother, but I did get you something. I told her I was going out later to pick something up, but I've already got it."

"Why the secrecy?" Asked Vega.

"You'll see." Harry said. "Boils down to the fact that she'd hex me to ashes if she ever found out I'd given it to you, though."

"You say that, then expect me to wait around all day. Thanks a lot, dad."

Laughing, Harry began to plate up some of the food, carrying it over to the table. "Sorry, sorry. I know you hate waiting for things. The twins have already sent their presents on over. Apparently,they've all been up for a couple hours now."

"Vivi probably woke them up at four this morning." Vega said, rolling his eyes.

"I have absolutely no idea where that girl gets her energy from. It certainly isn't Draco. And in all the time I've known Pansy, she's never acted that... peppy." Harry said, sitting down at the opposite end of the table. "I'm sorry I haven't been home much, kiddo. Been meaning to sit and talk for awhile now."

"It's alright. Any leads on the guys causing all the crimes?" Asked Vega around a mouthful of eggs.

"A few, here and there. We're checking all that seem plausible. People are getting jumpy again, no matter how much I try and calm them. Thinking I may need to just suck it up and go to the Prophet to see if I can't strongarm myself a front page story to reassure everyone. Might go and get Albus to join me. Hate doing interviews, but..."

"What do you think? Think it's really someone tryin' to bring Voldemort back? That's the rumor flying around at school." Vega said.

Harry shrugged. "Possibly. Not like it's gonna work. I got a second chance and I used it to make sure he wouldn't break out again. Should've done it the first time around, but I was just so angry at the time that I couldn't think straight. I wanted to remove him from the equation and be done with it. Oh! That reminds me, Vega, we're going to have a guest here in about... half an hour, maybe? So after you get done eating, go up and get changed, alright?"

"Grandma already stopped by... and mum wouldn't tell me who this 'other guest' was. I don't suppose you'll be any more generous?" Vega asked, giving his father the evil eye.

"Afraid not, Vega. It'd ruin the surprise!" Said Harry, grinning.

"...Is it Aunt Hermione?" Asked Vega. "Were you finally able to hunt her down?"

"I wish. That girl's harder to find than Wally. Swear to Merlin, I've tried every resource I have and no one's seen her. I know she's out globetrotting and she's fine, since letters are still coming in regularly. Crazy woman got bit by a pretty bad case of wanderlust and just refuses to stay still, though. Wouldn't kill her to pop in every now and then." Harry said, shaking his head slowly. "I've seen her precisely twice since we graduated from Hogwarts. Once when you were born, and once when I started getting memories back."

"Of the timeline you think got erased?" Asked Vega.

Harry nodded. "Yeah. That was the first time in a long time I'd had a nightmare that bad. It was and still is full of holes. I haven't remembered much since that day. All I remember is me and four other people went to Hogwarts, I killed Albus, and basically proved that I was insane to everyone in the room. There was some fuzzy stuff towards the end. I think we wound up back on Azkaban and turned that into our... I dunno what you'd call it. Our base of operations, I suppose. Then I remember fighting Draco, the Void opening up... and then Voldemort and another me were standing there. That's not very much to go on. I'd apparently made an enemy of everyone by killing Albus. My friends came to stop me. No matter the cost..."

"How do you know any of it's real?" Asked Vega. "Seems pretty out there."

"A lot of 'out there' stuff happened to me when I was younger." Harry said. "But my memories are all scrambled of that day. It's like two versions of events played out, and I have no idea why. Hopefully the rest of the memories will come to me in time. It's been there in the back of my mind, driving me up the wall."

"Understandable, I suppose. I guess I can't really talk. I keep doing stuff I don't remember, too..." Vega said, hanging his head a little.

"Mm, any more incidents occurred since the attack?" Asked Harry.

"No. Haven't even heard that little voice in the back of my head. Guess that counts as a good thing, but it's still bugging me. No blackouts, either." Vega said.

"Hopefully, we'll wrap this thing up with by the time you lot get to the final Quidditch game of the year. You guys _are _planning on winning, right?"

"Still getting used to playing on a real team, but yeah. We're doing alright, I'd say. Feels good to be in the air."

"You just had to inherit his love of flying instead of my love of eating, didn't you?" Came a groggy voice from the stairs. The smell of breakfast had finally overcome Tonks' desire to sleep in. As she made her way to the table, Harry got up and assembled another plate of food for her. "How long've you boys been up?"

"Dad's been up for awhile now. I just got up a bit ago." Vega said. "He also won't spill the beans about who's coming over."

"I've trained him well." Tonks said, smirking as she speared some eggs.

"What am I, a seal?" Asked Harry, indignantly.

"I dunno, can you balance a ball on your nose?" Asked Tonks.

"You really want to see if I can at the table? If it falls, it'd fall right into your food." Harry said.

"Mm. Afterwards, maybe. You and your cooking. Lemme sleep in, dangit." Tonks groused.

"No can do, I'm afraid. Guests are few and far between. Had to think of something to wake you outside of dousing you in ice water. I chose the lesser of two evils." Harry said, holding his hands up.

"How long do we have, anyway?" Asked Tonks.

"She's turning up around 9. So you have about fifteen minutes." Harry said. "She called about half an hour before Vega woke up to let me know she was heading out."

"She's coming via car?" Asked Tonks. "That's strange."

"That's what I said. She's still not fond of teleporting around, it seems. Can't say as I blame her. After our little excursion to Germany back in the day, I'm sure I turned everyone off to the stuff. Besides, apparating feels terrible and Floo makes you all dirty. Plus she knew it'd take you forever to get up and running." Harry said, smirking.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"All this waiting around today is gonna drive me crazy. Can I go start opening presents now?" Asked Vega, who had long since polished off his breakfast.

"If you want. Looks like it's mostly books." Tonks said.

"Better books than clothes!" Said Vega, leaving his seat at the table and walking into the living room, where the tree was set up. Flopping down on the ground, he began moving his presents off into a small pile next to him. "Besides, it'll give me something to focus on besides waiting and monsters and whatever else is in store for me."

"Still feeling alright?" Asked Tonks.

"Think I ate too fast, but I'm alright, yeah." Vega replied, tearing the wrapping off of the present from Viola first. "Ooh!"

"And that's why I wanted you to eat first." Harry said. "I was told what was in them. Better keep them away from your mother, or you'll lose half your sweets before you know it."

Tonks glared at Harry, and Vega glared at his mother before gingerly moving the small pile of various candies and chocolates off to one side. Viola always had had a bad tendency to indulge his sweet tooth. It was also one of his most glaring weaknesses and she jolly well knew it. Any time she wanted him to do something, it wouldn't take much effort on her part.

Aside from the sweets, he did indeed receive mostly books. It had been a request on his part, however, so he was happy with his haul. He was still missing at least one present, however, and it was going to nag at him until Harry delivered it. After he had finished opening his presents, Vega got up and went to go change, calling out that his mother should probably do the same.

"I should be the one telling you that, not the other way around, young man!" Tonks called back. "Honestly, that boy is-"

The doorbell rang, cutting her off. It also had the added bonus of making her look like a deer caught in some headlights. She swore under her breath, told Harry to answer the door, and rushed off up the stairs. Vega came out of his room not long after she had run into the master bedroom, trying against all reason to flatten his hair out a bit. He reached the top of the stairs just as his father opened the front door, letting their mysterious guest in.

She was just a bit shorter than Harry, and was wearing a very strange looking dress under her coat that was covered in real poinsettia leaves. Her hair was very light blond and hung down to her waist, and she had very bright, grey eyes. After slipping off the coat and setting it on the nearby coat rack, she gave Harry a tight hug. "Happy Christmas, Harry. Is everyone awake?"

"Yeah. Vega should be out any time now and Nym is changing. Took her forever to get up. What else is new, huh?" Harry said, grinning as he closed the door behind the woman. "No problems on the trip over, I take it?"

"None at all. Ah!" The woman had turned and glanced at the stairs, seeing Vega descending. "Happy Christmas, Vega."

Laughing, Vega hit the bottom of the stairs in a run, rushing over and hugging the woman. "Aunt Luna! I thought you were out of the country!"

Luna Lovegood smiled, hugging Vega in return and nodding. "I was. I just got back in last night. I figured I would stop by to see how everyone's been. I've heard some rather distressing things about Hogwarts, you know."

"Most probably true." Vega muttered.

"You've gotten taller since I saw you last." Luna said, leaning over slightly. "About five centimeters taller, I believe."

"No offense, Aunt Luna, but it's been a year and a half since you saw me last. Five centimeters in a year and a half isn't anything amazing..." Pouted Vega.

"Better to be a slow-growing flower than a fast-growing weed." Luna stated, smiling. She turned back to her coat, rummaging in one of its pockets for a moment before pulling out a small package. "I'm afraid I wasn't entirely sure what to get. But I did bring a souvenir. Thailand is lovely this time of year."

"Ooh, extra present." Vega said, his eyes lighting up. He quickly opened it up, finding inside a small box of sweets. Or, at least, he assumed they were sweets. He couldn't read the writing on the box, but judging from the pictures, they looked like chocolate-covered cherries. Tentatively, Vega picked one up and asked, "It isn't something weird, is it?"

"Would I bring you anything weird, Vega?" Asked Luna.

"You brought me lollipops with bugs in them last time." Vega stated.

"Those were very delicious. And full of protein." Luna said, nodding sagely. "Go on, try one. They're all the rage over there right now."

Nervously licking his lips, Vega squeezed his eyes closed and popped one of the candies into his mouth. He winced, but only reflexively, as the flavor that met his tongue was indeed chocolate. A dark chocolate, specifically, one that was very rich. Vega opened his eyes in surprise, glancing between his father and his 'aunt.' "This is... really good!"

"See? And just wait until you get to the spicy curry in the center!" Luna said, clasping her hands together.

"Spicy curry in the center?" Said Harry and Vega at the same time.

Then it hit him. The dark chocolate outside melted away, spilling what might as well have been lava into Vega's mouth. He clamped a hand to his mouth, shoved the box of chocolates into his father's hands, dug his foot into the carpet and spun to rush into the kitchen. Within seconds, his head was turned sideways under the sink's faucet, letting cold water stream directly into his mouth. It felt as though someone had just crammed a whole slew of peppers into his throat. "Nngahhhh..."

"Honestly, Luna..." Harry said, glancing aside at Luna, who was hiding her giggling behind a hand.

"Oh, I know. I'm sorry, Harry. But you have to admit, he did have a funny expression on his face when it hit." Luna said, grinning.

"...Well, yeah." Admitted Harry.

"Traitors!" Cried Vega, who had moved from the sink to the fridge, throwing the freezer door open and grabbing a pair of ice cubes to stick in his mouth. "Ahhhhh..."

"Good lord, what on earth is causing so much noise down here?" Came Tonks' voice as she finally left the bedroom, fully dressed.

"Hello, Nymphadora." Luna said, turning to embrace Tonks once she had reached the bottom of the stairs. "Not much. Vega was just happy to see me, that's all."

"Oh, would you stop calling me that." Tonks said, returning the hug before looking off at Vega, who was standing near the still-open freezer door, looking absolutely blissful at the moment. "Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not. Chocolate-covered cherry?" Harry asked, lifting the box Luna had brought.

"Mum, don't!" Vega cried, a few seconds too late.

"What? Ooh, Luna, this is wonderful, where did y-"

Vega groaned, grabbing another few ice cubes and moving well clear of the freezer, motioning his mother over once she realized that the ooey-gooey center of her chocolate was not, in fact, made of cherries. Meanwhile, back near the door, Luna had once more dissolved into giggles and Harry looked as though he was trying to hold back one of his own.

"You're sleeping on the couch for a week!" Tonks cried, coughing every other word after she had cooled her tongue off. "Holy _crap_, throw those things out, Harry!"

"No way!" Vega exclaimed, rushing over to swipe the box back from his father. Putting the lid back on, he grinned.

"Don't tell me you actually want to eat the rest!" Tonks said, looking at her son, horrified.

"Who said anything about _me _eating them? There are three people I can think of off the top of my head that I want to catch reactions from." Vega said. Turning back to Luna, he gave the woman another hug."This was the best worst present ever, Aunt Luna. Thank you."

"I'm glad I could provide a source of amusement." Luna said, smiling. "Now then, I hope I didn't interrupt anything when I came."

"Nah. Vega's already opened his other presents, but me and Nym still have ours to go through. Sorry for not getting you anything, Luna. Didn't expect you back in so soon." Harry said, leading Luna in to sit.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Harry. Going around and seeing how everyone is will be a good enough present for me. That and I still have a few boxes of those to pass out." Luna said.

"Don't give one to the Malfoys. I want to gauge Vivi and Hyde's reactions myself." Vega pleaded. "Pleeeease?"

"Well... if you insist. I'll just leave theirs here with you and tell them it must've dropped out when I was over here." Luna said.

"So..." Tonks began, now that her tongue had finally cooled back down. "What've you been upto? You were traveling around Asia, yeah?"

"I've been in Thailand for the last month and a half, yes." Luna said. Luna had taken a rather sudden interest in healing magic after the battle with Voldemort in Germany, something that still didn't feel right to Harry, who was watching the conversation unfold through half-focused eyes. In fact, if he were to be perfectly honest with himself, he wasn't sure Luna was supposed to even be alive. He had very painful, very distinct memories of Luna being struck down in that fight. He had remembered seeing her ghost join in the Lucidus Susceptor, in fact. The fact that he couldn't remember how or why she had, in fact, survived bothered him greatly. Certainly, some of his other friends hadn't made it out of that fight alive. Fred and George Weasley were still dead, as was Solieyu Reinhardt. When asked once, Harry remembered hearing Luna say that she didn't want to be with anyone else. The one she considered hers was still waiting for her on the other side.

She didn't have any memories of the incident herself. When that nightmare had jolted Harry from his dreams, and he had gathered those that had been present at the battle that day, he had asked her many a question about how she could be alive. He had seen her get killed in one clean hit. Her ghost had been the last one to vanish and the first to see the madness swirling in his eyes. He had hoped she would be able to remember and, hopefully, shed some light on the patches of darkness that still plagued his memories. But she didn't. All she remembered was being pulled to one side at the last second, just before the blast that should've killed her connected. She did mention thinking that Harry had looked very strange just before that had occurred, though she wasn't sure why.

"Dad?"

Blinking, Harry looked over to his son, who was staring at him in concern. "Uh... what? Sorry, spaced out there for a second."

"I keep telling you you need more sleep." Tonks said. "You were just staring off into space there. I was gonna come over there and poke you in the ear if you didn't snap out of it soon."

"Long nights?" Asked Luna.

"Wanna hear the story?" Harry replied. "We may or may not have trouble, depending on how you look at it."

"If you feel like sharing. I think Vega wants to see you two open your gifts, though." Luna said.

"Oh! Right. Man, I really am out of it." Harry said, making a face. And, as he reached over for the nearest present, he tried pushing his questions out of his mind. They could wait for a later time. He needed to just be happy with the fact that, whatever happened, it had changed things for the was alive, he was sane, and the day was just getting started.

His present to Vega, as well as working out his son's potential split personality troubles, needed to take top priority. For awhile, he had debated giving his son that particular book. But with the emergence of a second persona, he was hoping his own notes on the matter could help a little. It was something he had been writing almost since he had gotten out of Hogwarts. He never planned to have it published, but it was nice to write down the things that had happened to him, from his own perspective.

He just hoped the other sections of the book would serve his son use. If the cult really was responsible for letting the threat to Hogwarts in, Vega needed to be have the tools necessary to fight. Because Harry knew, whether Vega wanted it or not, trouble was going to inevitably come for him. His old invisibility cloak was still around, waiting to be passed on. But Harry definitely did not want his son to be skulking around the school at the moment. He would rather give the boy something to help him fight back rather than something that was utterly useless if he were to be found out.

A new puzzle had been dumped out onto the table. And though he knew he had more help than the last time he worked on one, it didn't change matters any. Lives were once more being put on the line, and he couldn't be in two places at one. Not anymore. He was going to be out dealing with the greater threat to wizarding Britain. He just hoped his son would gain enough confidence in his abilities to be able to help keep Hogwarts safe should the need arise. He hadn't initially planned on giving the book to Vega so soon, but current events wouldn't let him hold off any longer. He was going to need to inform Draco and Pansy later. He wasn't the only one who had been writing.

All he could do was wait and pray that this time around, things wouldn't go as out of control as they had last time.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Author's Notes: Luna! Surprise!

Chapter 10! Surprise!

God, this took foreverlong to write. I apologize for that. A string of games coming out combined with an utterly horrid case of writer's block kept this one on the backburner for this long. Hopefully now that I've climbed that hill I won't be met with a mountain, huh?

So now we've seen Vega acting a bit more relaxed, Luna somehow survived, and we see that Harry is remembering two very different things playing out. No one else remembers anything of the erased timeline, but what does that mean? It will be explained, I assure you. But before you ask - yeah, the twins and Leon really are dead for keeps. But Luna remains. And yet the last we saw her, she was a ghost, fading with the Susceptor as Harry was overcome by the Gauntlet's madness.

And for the record, if I ever get around to that future series, which I really would like to, eventually, we will be seeing a few familiar faces return. How's that for a stupid teaser. A thing that may or may not ever get written is being teased. Oo-er.

Until next time, folks, when Harry gives this mysterious book of his to Vega, and we return to Hogwarts. And perhaps Vega will pass out some of Luna's lovely chocolates to his friends.

Post-edit addition: Before I get any questions, Vega just refers to all of the old cast with familial titles. Aunt Luna, Aunt Hermione, woulda been an Uncle Leon had Solieyu not bit it twice over the course of R-1, and so on. That sorta thing.


	11. The Grimoire

Vega had spent the better part of his Christmas Day wondering what his father had gotten him. He was clearly waiting for a chance to get away from his mother, but he had no idea what the present could possibly be. He knew his father wouldn't give him anything overtly dangerous, but that's about the only thing he could think of that it could be that might make his mother have kittens. That or a pet of some kind. He didn't want to have a pet, though. Looking after the two owls was enough of a chore.

After dinner, Vega had retreated to his room to really dig into his candy supply. Idly chewing at the end of a candy cane, he spent a good hour pondering what the devil his last present could be. He knew his father was a Parselmouth, but he hadn't really displayed any signs of being one, too, so it couldn't possibly be a snake. About the only Parseltongue that Vega knew was a few particular swear words that his father had used when he had cracked his thumb with a hammer one year while putting up a portrait.

"Not gonna sleep tonight," he muttered, biting a piece of the candy cane off as it started getting too sharp. "If the candy doesn't do it, dad's present will..."

It was just after ten that night that the door to his room opened. Harry, looking slightly nervous, quickly slipped into his room, a wrapped box in one hand. He walked over and sat on the edge of his son's bed, handing the gift over. When Vega took it, Harry scanned the sweets and grabbed a sugar quill. "Bad habits never die." He said around the end of the feather.

"Mum know you're in here?" Vega asked, tearing the wrapping paper off of the rectangular object.

"Yeah, but I said I was gonna give you a pep talk about how things've been at Hogwarts. Not... exactly a lie, I suppose. But not quite the truth, either." Harry said.

"Would it kill you to make sense, dad?"

"Nah. S'more fun being vague. Drives everyone up the wall."

Rolling his eyes, Vega tore the rest of the paper away from the gift, revealing a thick tome that looked to be rather old. Opening it to a random page somewhere near the middle, Vega saw that it was a spell book of some sort. There were moving images of spells being performed, along with lengthy descriptions of the theory, the execution, and when the best times to use them would be. Vega frowned for a moment before looking back up to his father. "This is your handwriting."

"Yeah. Just after we got out of school, Nym suggested I write things down to clear my head, so to speak. Bought the book in Knockturn Alley. There's a way to set a password on it so that only those who know it can open the book up. With what I have in there, it's safest that way. Right now, it's still open, since I wanted you to be the one to choose the password." Harry explained, pulling the sugar quill from his mouth. "Every spell I've ever used, every creature I've ever fought against or alongside, all the stuff I've researched or outright created... all of it is in those pages. I was hoping to give it to you a few years down the road; that danger wouldn't come back to Hogwarts once you and the twins got there."

Vega quickly flipped through the pages, all of which were completely filled. In addition to the normal pictures and text, Harry had hastily scribbled notes along the edges of the pages. Things he had forgotten and later remembered, addendums to things previously written, and new information he had come across. "Dad, I appreciate it and all, but... all of this looks like stuff I wouldn't be _able _to use for a few years..."

"Page 152." Harry said, nodding to the book.

Blinking, Vega searched for the page in question. At the top of the page was another moving picture. This one showed a wizard casting the spell at a couch. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, suddenly, spikes shot out in all directions from within. "Wait, this is that..."

"Yeah. The Cruentus Via. That's what you used when you and the twins were attacked. I found that in another book and added it, since it looked useful. Lotta stuff I've never actually used, but thought _might _be useful in here, too. There's a stronger version of it, too. Now that one I doubt you'd be able to do for a good while, just due to the magic needed." Harry said. Pausing for a moment, he reached out and put a hand on Vega's shoulders. "I won't ask you to promise not to use these on living things. Things change. People change. The inevitable could occur, and when it does, I just want you to be as prepared as you can be. Trouble came looking for me the entire time I was at that school, and it probably is going to do the same to you. There's no way to avoid it."

Closing the book, Vega stared down at the cover. "So I'm going to have to figure out what's been attacking people? That doesn't seem fair."

"Yeah. Few things at Hogwarts are, in the long run. I wish it didn't have to be this way. It's been bothering me since I came in with the Aurors. Hopefully, Wolf and I will be able to stop the cultists before they can do anything else. One year of this nonsense is more than enough for anyone, especially at your age. But if we can't, this book will help teach you in my absence. I can't be on Hogwarts grounds all the time, even if I want to. There are bigger things at play, and if they figure out some way to bring Voldemort back out of the Void, I'm going to need to be ready, alright?"

"I know..." Vega said, blowing out a sigh. "Comes with the territory, huh? Being your kid and all."

"Unfortunately." Harry said, ruffling Vega's hair and smiling crookedly. "You've gone to the Pit, right? You can practice down in the training room. Anything that looks useful, try it out when you've got the chance. I'll be using my down time to try and figure out what could be in the school. It hasn't been the same yet. I'm just wondering if it can change its shape. That narrows down the search by quite a bit. I've dog-eared a few of the pages with stuff that might be useful, in that case. And hey, it goes without saying, but make sure your mother never sees you with that thing. Like I said, she'd probably flay us alive if she knew I was passing the grimoire on. I've got a second made up to look like the first that I'm going to keep writing in to throw her off the trail."

"Decidedly sneaky of you, dad." Vega said. "No wonder I'm in Slytherin."

"Yeah, well, being sneaky is fun. Getting caught, not so much, but being sneaky is fun." Harry said, standing up. "Look over it. Your mother shouldn't come bothering you this late. I'll just tell her you got pretty sleepy during our talk. I know it's hard out there, Vega. But I know you're as stubborn as Nym and I are, too."

"I know... and I know you can't be there all the time. You work on the loonies trying to bring Voldemort back, I guess me, Vivi, and Hyde will work at figuring out what's at the school. If nothing else, we can report to McGonagall to see what she thinks. Have you talked to her at all since your visit to Hogwarts?" Asked Vega.

"Just once, but not much came of it, I'm afraid." Harry said, shaking his head and walking back to the door. "If I find anything out, I'll be sure to send you a letter or something, though. You do the same, okay? If you or the twins find out anything, let me know after you let Minerva know. I'm not busy _all _the time. Hopefully if one of us can work this out, one of us can also stop it."

Vega snorted. "Yeah. Why do I think I'm gonna be the one getting the short end of that straw?"

"Fate has it in for us, boyo." Harry said, grinning. "Try not to stay up too long, alright? And be sure to tuck the grimoire into your trunk before you go to sleep. Put it in with your school books. Oh! And when you want to set the password, just tap the cover three times and say whatever you want the password to be. Best to wait until you get back to school for that, though, yeah?"

Vega nodded, and his father smiled before ducking out out into the hall, still sucking at the sugar quill he had swiped. Vega looked back down at the book in his hands, and opened it up once more. He slowly scanned through the pages, noting the ones with a bent corner. He would give it a better read once he was back at the school, when he could put a password on it and leave it in the Pit. Despite how he had joked around with his father about it, the thought of being the one to go after whatever was hiding the school terrified him. Sure, it would be cool to figure out what it was. He was sure, at the very least, letting McGonagall know would net Slytherin a boatload of points.

Sighing, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and knelt by his trunk, popping it open and moving some of his school books around to make room for the grimoire. It was way too late to be thinking seriously about heavy-duty magic like what was in the book. And his father was pretty long-winded in his writing when he wanted to be. And he clearly wanted to be in this case. He wanted there to be no margin of error when someone else tried to use the spells. He went out of his way to note little nuances with incantations and wand movements. As he got back into bed and set his sweets off on his night stand, he smirked slightly. All that detail wasn't a bad thing. It would, indeed, help him work things out easier.

Sliding under his blanket, Vega stared up at the ceiling.

"...I hate being right."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Wake up, we're almost back!"

Vega jerked to one side, his neck letting out a sharp crack. Clamping a hand up to the spot, he bit back a peal of colorful language. Turning his head slowly, he glared at Viola Malfoy, who was wincing back at him. Across the compartment, Hydrus was shaking his head and sighing, muttering about how he told his sister that wasn't the best way to do it. Scowling, Vega turned his glare to the passing scenery, idly rubbing at his aching neck. "Thanks, Vivi. Wasn't planning on turning my head to the left much any time soon, anyway."

"Sorry!" Apologized Viola. "You okay? You kinda twisted in a weird angle there..."

"Nothing a good night's rest won't fix, probably." Vega said, sighing.

"You sure you're alright?" Viola asked. "You've been pretty quiet the whole trip back to school. And not just 'cause you were sleeping for most of it..."

"I'm fine. Reality's setting in, that's all. We're probably going to have to go after whatever's attacking people. Or at least, we'll have to probably figure out what's causing the attacks." Vega explained.

"Our parents said similar things to us a few nights back." Hydrus admitted.

"Mum said 'nothing can ever be easy for the Potters or the Malfoys.' Looks like she was right. Doesn't look like anyone else is stepping up to the plate. And since people think we're all somehow involved anyway..." Viola trailed off.

"Got something from dad. Had to hide it from mum... probably be best not to mention it to your parents, either. Come back to the Pit with me tonight and I'll show you. I need to set the password on the damn thing, anyway. The last thing I need is for someone else to get ahold of it. Been tense ever since I left the house..." Vega admitted, sighing as he sat upright properly.

"What is it?" Asked Hydrus.

"Grimoire." Vega said, shrugging. "List of spells and stuff that dad made. I haven't had much of a chance to look through it. Said that mum wouldn't be very happy if she knew he'd passed it on to me. Kinda want to give that one spell a try. Y'know, the one I used against those idiot Hufflepuffs. It's in there. It and some stronger version I didn't look at, apparently."

Wincing again, Viola said, "Something stronger? The one you used kinda turned that one kid's arm into a pincushion, right? Just... uh... from the inside out?"

"Something like that. No idea what the stronger version could be. Dad pretty much said there's no way I'd be able to use that one. But... getting good at the one I've already used seems pretty good. I mean, I've already cast it once, so that means I have the ability, right?" Vega asked.

"To be fair," Hydrus began, "the first time you used it was under severe duress. Things can happen in such situations that might not be possible otherwise."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hyde." Vega said, drolly. "Really helps my self esteem."

"Merely trying to keep you from getting your hopes up." Hydrus said, raising his hands defensively. "If you can cast it, then fine. If not, you shouldn't take it too hard. You'll just have to practice. That is what that spare room is for, is it not?"

"Yeah. And I'm gonna be using it a fair bit, from what dad said. I really hope he catches whoever let the monster into the school. One year of this is more than enough for me. Wish we could've at least gotten one year of normalcy before this stuff started..." Vega said, glancing back out the window. They were almost at Hogsmeade from what he could see.

"Alright, less depressing talk." Viola stated. "Betting pool's open. What do you boys think the over-under is on Eskander and Alven being a couple is? And what're the odds on Carmichael getting jealous eventually?"

"This again?" Muttered Hydrus, sounding exhausted.

"'Again?'" Vega asked.

"She's been pestering me for the majority of the holidays on whether I think Eskander has a girlfriend or not. I couldn't care less either way." Hydrus said, giving his twin a withering look.

Viola was returning the look, and stuck her tongue out before looking back to Vega. "I'm serious! With how she hugged him before we all left, you'd think something had happened! I'm gonna be keeping my eyes on them tonight! Sure as heck beats worrying about the monster in the school."

"Guess she has a point on that last one, at least." Vega said. "...I dunno. They never really showed any signs of it before that day, right? Maybe it was just a hug. Eskander was hanging back at school for the holidays, wasn't he?"

"Yup." Viola said. "I guess it could be that, but that's so boring! Man, you guys are no fun at all."

"And you're too excitable." Hydrus declared. "I do hope you won't go pestering any of them about this."

"Of course I won't! I do have _some _sense of decorum, ya know. Just because you took all that huffy stuff dad tried ingraining in us to heart doesn't mean I have to, too." Viola said, crossing her arms.

"I'm not getting into this argument with you." Hydrus said, raising an eyebrow.

"Good. Because you'd lose."

Sighing, Hydrus finally turned his own attention out the window. The Hogwarts Express was starting to slow down at long last, and movement could be heard throughout the train as people began to extract themselves from their seats, changing and gathering their things. When the train had come to a full stop, the three got up and, after stretching a bit, left their compartment to head for the horseless carriages that would transport them back up to the castle.

"Why is it so much colder here?" Viola whimpered as they stepped out into the crisp night air. "And why the hell do us girls have to be stuck in skirts even in winter?"

"Because you look cuter that way, probably. Plus if everyone wore pants, it might be harder to tell the boys from the girls." Vega said.

"Speaking from experience?" Asked Viola, grinning at Vega, who ducked his head and blushed.

"That only happened once, and _shut up_." Vega mumbled. "So what if someone mistook me for a girl?"

Cackling, Viola threw an arm around Vega and pulled him into a hug, despite his vocal complaints. Hydrus kept his distance and maintained his silence, not wanting to step into that whirlwind so late in the day. The three boarded an empty carriage, with Viola letting out a sigh of relief at the temporary escape from the winter's bite.

"Looks kinda ominous at night, doesn't it?" Vega asked, glancing out a window.

"I suppose it was made to be." Hydrus said.

"It doesn't seem that big from the inside." Viola said. "Wonder how many hidden spots there really are in that place. I'm pretty sure you can't even get into most of those towers..."

"Probably for good reason." Hydrus said. "People might fall over the edges. Broken bones and the like are easily handled magically. Death, not so much."

"Well, _that _brought a morbid taste back to the conversation." Viola said, dryly. "Right, no more death or monsters or anything. Just food and a possible love triangle!"

"The food I'll gladly think about." Vega said, his stomach growling. "I've barely eaten at all today. You can stare at the Ravenclaws all you want. I'll probably be wolfing down half the food at the table."

"We aren't carrying you back to the dungeons." Hydrus said.

"I'm not gonna eat myself into a coma!" Vega said, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Three Christmases ago." Hydrus stated.

"That doesn't count. I'd been sick for almost two weeks prior!" Vega argued. "I hadn't had a big meal the entire time!"

"Yes, and Viola and I ended up having to help you to the nearest couch so you could try and sleep it off. As I recall, you groaned about how your stomach was going to burst and that you were just shy of dying." Hydrus said.

"It wasn't very smart to eat that much after not having a proper meal for so long." Viola added. "Your body wasn't used to having food in it again..."

"Yeah, yeah, I make stupid decisions when I'm hungry. God, what is it with you two tonight? Stop teasing me!"

"Aw, but it's so much fun!" Cooed Viola, ruffling Vega's hair and quickly dodging the swat she knew would come.

"I hope your legs get eaten up by mosquitoes when we get back out." Groused Vega, folding his arms and slumping down in his seat.

Snorting slightly, Hydrus pondered aloud, "Sugar runs in her bloodstream. If any bug tried drinking it, they'd die from shock."

"Blood's all gone. Long since replaced by cherry-flavored syrup." Viola agreed. "Mosquitoes would want nothing to do with it. Also, you're both jerks."

When the carriages stopped, Vega and the twins hopped out, rushing up to the castle as quickly as they could. The Entrance Hall was charmed to keep warm, for which the returning students were very grateful. With a stretch, Viola promptly pointed towards the Great Hall, declared that all food within should be wary of her grasp, and proceeded to drag the two boys behind her into it. Pouting when she saw the food wasn't already there, she chose instead to scan the Ravenclaw table.

"He isn't here yet..." She said, keeping her voice low. "Neither are those two girls."

"They'll turn up eventually." Hydrus said.

"Man, and here I wanted something to do until the food arrived..."

Vega leaned against the table and turned his head to watch students trickling in. Some looked happy to be back, some looked nervous at the prospect, and some simply were glad that they wouldn't have to go back out into the cold. As the Great Hall filled, Valerie Carmichael and Samantha Alven finally showed up, with no Lapis Eskander in sight. They both looked around the room for him for a moment before having a quick, hushed conversation. Samantha shrugged, and pulled her friend over to the Ravenclaw table, where they sat and stared towards the doors, as well.

"Huh." Vega said, knowing Viola was looking where he was. "Well, that just raises more questions than it answers. They seem to be pretty cool with each other, so... whatever happened in their group obviously hasn't soured anything."

"They look pretty worried. Think Eskander's okay?"

"Dunno why he wouldn't be. I guess he could've been attacked, but they probably would've been up to the Hospital Wing or whatever if that was the case..." Vega said.

"He'd better show up. Now I'm really curious." Viola said. "Probably just being fashionably late or something."

"Think so?"

"Wouldn't bet money on it, but I'd say so, yeah."

Hydrus rolled his eyes as his sister and best friend kept an eagle-eyed stare aimed towards the lone entrance to the room. He presumed, of course, that McGonagall wasn't hiding Eskander away in the small side room. Though now that the image was in his mind, he couldn't bite back a small smirk at the notion. Everyone assembled, the headmistress stepped out for a moment before parading the Ravenclaw boy back into the room.

"Oh god..." Viola said, sucking in a sharp breath. "What happened to him?"

Blinking, Hydrus turned his attention back to what was actually going on. He first glanced at his twin, then turned to look where she was looking. Lapis Eskander had finally entered, though the boy who had just slipped into the room seemed nothing like the one he remembered. Lapis had huge bags under his eyes, and his hair was decidedly messy, as though he had been trying rather unsuccessfully to get some much-needed sleep. His robes were disheveled, and he was dragging his feet as he walked. Almost at once, his friends were at his side, looking alarmed and asking questions as they helped him to the Ravenclaw table.

"Looks like something's been keeping him up." Vega said, looking rather alarmed himself. "And from how those two reacted, this was news to them, too."

"He's really pale... I wonder if he just got sick over the holidays." Viola said, frowning. "Or maybe the monster _did _show up again, and he managed to escape from it. I know that'd keep _me _awake at night."

"Whatever's wrong, I'm sure those two will help fix it." Hydrus said.

McGonagall's voice rang out through the Great Hall at that moment, bringing the students to attention. Glancing around at the students for a moment, she began, "I would like to welcome you all back and hope your holidays have been..."

"Jolly!" Piped Flitwick suddenly.

Casting aside a weary look at the happy little professor, McGonagall cleared her throat and continued, "'_Jolly_.' I'm sure most of you are wondering the same thing, so let me address that first - there have not been any more appearances by our mysterious new resident over the holidays. We've gone out almost every day, spending hours scouring the castle while the better part of you were at home, and we have, unfortunately, turned up nothing more than we had previously. Whether this means the creature has simply found a way out, or if it's just biding its time, I regretfully do not know. But just because there have been no attacks is no reason to let your guard down. Take care in going to and from classes, and try to always travel in a group if at all possible. And I would also avoid taking secret passages to save time. We have no way of knowing where this thing might show up again, if at all. I wish your return to Hogwarts could be met with better news than this, but I'm afraid that is simply not the case. That said, try not to let it be an all-consuming worry. We are still investigating what it might be, and I've had discussions with a few colleagues regarding the situation which has shed some light on where to narrow the search down to.

"Professor Tadyggbo will be going over these possible creatures in his classes over the next two weeks. If there is still something in our school, then the best course of action is to be prepared for it should it decide to mobilize again. Since it is clearly intent on eluding us, the next strategy is to arm you with the knowledge of how to handle it should you be forced to. I would like to state that I do not want any of you to willingly engage this creature. It has wounded two students, and they were quite lucky that their injuries were not life-threatening. It is clearly capable of inflicting severe wounds, and it has proven to be very fast. I want you to be able to defend yourselves from it - I don't want anyone going looking for it." She finished, casting a very knowing look towards Vega's end of the Slytherin table. "Now then, as I'm sure some of you are eagerly awaiting... let us eat."

And with that, food appeared on the House tables, causing noise to finally break out in the silent room. McGonagall's speech had brought the mood of the room down a fair bit, and it took some time before the chatter grew to a normal pitch. Viola had already loaded her plate full and had started eating, but Vega looked rather annoyed.

"Did you see that? She looked right at us. _I_ don't wanna go look for the bloody thing!" He groused, stabbing at a slice of apple pie.

"Yes, well, you can't blame her for being wary of the whole situation." Hydrus said, reaching for a bowl of pasta. "She's probably well aware that trouble will come for us, or we'll go for it."

"Why the heck would I go looking for something that would want to kill me?" Vega asked. "Ugh... man, I'm gonna punch dad next time I see him, passing on his awful luck..."

"Could be worse." Said Viola, around a mouthful of food. "'Least we don't look like Eskander."

Vega looked back over to the Ravenclaw table. Lapis wasn't eating, and neither were his friends, who seemed more concerned with his well-being than with getting a good meal. He had his arms crossed on the table, and his head was lowered. The girls were rubbing at his back and were talking quietly to him. "Maybe he _is _sick. Wonder why he dragged himself all the way out here. He's got an ego, but I don't think he's the type to willingly spread an illness around."

"No telling with him." Viola said. "I'll try and catch one of them after Potions tomorrow if he isn't around."

"You're not eating much." Hydrus observed, looking at Vega.

"You can thank McGonagall for that." Vega muttered, glaring at his half-eaten pie wedge. "I really want to go move dad's gift down to the Pit. I don't want that thing in the dungeons."

"Why not?"

"Makes me nervous." Vega said, looking up at Hydrus. "...Think I'd be okay slipping out? Dinner isn't going to go on very long. She's gonna wanna get everyone moved to their common rooms. I may stay down in the Pit tonight. If I hurry, I'll be able to get to the dungeons and back to the Pit before the prefects start leading people out."

"We'll come with you." Hydrus said, causing Viola to whine around a chicken wing.

"No, you won't. Look, she already thinks we're probably gonna be up to something. If I left, you could always just say my stomach was upset and I went to lay down or something. It wouldn't be a complete lie. My stomach's in knots right now. But if all three of us get up and leave, she'd probably come and personally drag us back in here." Vega said. "Cover for me if she asks?"

"I'd rather not. Viola could stay behind and field any questions she asks. The excuse would be simple enough. You aren't feeling good, as you suggested, and I'm going along to make sure nothing attacks you on your way back to bed." Hydrus said.

"I appreciate it, Hyde, but I'll be fine. I'm fast enough that I'd be able to outrun whatever it is, I'm sure. Hell, I could probably duck into an alcove and it'd run right by me. I guess being small has advantages sometimes, huh?" Vega said, trying to sound cheery.

Hydrus scowled, leaning forward. "Potter, I'm not going to force you to let me tag along, but I don't like this. It's been too long since the last attack and, as I'm sure you're well aware, we all seem to have rather poor luck when it comes to things like this!"

"You haven't gotten this grumpy before, why pick _now _to?" Asked Vega, sounding irritated. "Look, if you're that worried, just come by the Pit tonight. We'll camp out or something. I'll be fine! If it comes to it, I can just open dad's book and..."

"And find a spell you can use while running from an unknown creature? Potter, don't be stupid." Hydrus said.

"Hyde, I'm moving the book. You're staying here so we can at least _try _not to get McGonagall mad at us. Hell, I can come back _here _after I drop off the book if you're going to act like a pillock all night."

Sighing, Hydrus shook his head. "I'm clearly not gaining any ground, am I? Fine, go. But if you don't hurry, I'm coming after you to make _sure _you get back here."

"Fine! God, how do you deal with him all the time, Vivi?" Vega asked, getting up and storming away from the table. He made sure, despite his anger, to hunch over a little and keep an arm across his stomach, since he was sure the staff was watching him. Once he was out of the Great Hall, he drew he wand and fell into a sprint. Despite all his bravado, Hogwarts was scary at night. Especially when no one else was around to fill the silence. And, thanks to Hydrus, now he was paranoid about getting jumped by something on his trek down to the Slytherin common room.

"Stupid Hyde. It's a good thing he's cute, because his personality's never gonna win anyone over." He muttered, slowing down a bit when he got near the entrance to the common room. Tucking his wand in his back pocket, he was in and out of there in mere minutes, the Grimoire tucked under his arm. The first thing he wanted to do was to seal the book up. Pulling his wand out, he paused in a deserted hallway long enough to tap the book three times and whisper, "_Quadrivium_." The book seemed to let out a faint hissing sound. Vega tried to pry the book open after that, to no avail. Smiling, he tucked it back under his arm and continued on his way, feeling a lot better about the situation. Now, even if someone else ran into the Grimoire, they wouldn't be able to open it.

Idly spinning his wand in his hand as he walked, Vega started wondering about Lapis Eskander and his unknown affliction. It had been awhile since Vega had gotten sick, but he knew all too well how much a flu over Christmas could suck. He was hoping Lapis was on the recovery and only looked the part. With a sigh, he mumbled, "Better hurry up or Hyde'll make good on his 'promise.'"

Speeding up slightly, Vega had just rounded the corner when a voice called out to him. Wincing, he stopped where he stood and glanced over his shoulder.

"Aw, come on, I went as fast as I could..." He sighed, turning and walking toward the familiar face. At least, he figured, he would have someone to talk to on the now rather short trip to the Pit and back to the Great Hall.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Faith and begorah, another chapter! And we've now hit the point where things are finally picking up and I'm wanting to write again! A combination of writer's block and the ungodly heat of the summer (seriously, it's hit 115F with the heat index this last week) have made me not want to do anything. But I've made myself sit down and push through it. Hopefully the writing doesn't suffer too much for it. For anyone keeping up with both stories, Changing Fate's next chapter is also almost done (at the time of this writing, I'm just trying to tie chapter 3 up).

So, Vega and the twins are finally back at school, something's going on with Lapis, and the monster's keeping itself hidden. But why? Ah, that's the real question, isn't it? Oh, I have an answer. And it's good and creepy to think about. But we'll get to that in due time. Hopefully it won't take forever for my slacker ass to write chapter 12! It's been one I've wanted to do, so it shouldn't be. I'll probably get going on it later today, actually. We're also roughly halfway done with book 1 at this point, give or take! It's a sad state of affairs that this was started well over a year ago and I'm only halfway done. The summer doldrums have gotten the better of me, I suppose.

In any case, things are gonna pick up next chapter. Not all is as it seems to be, and Vega finally gets an idea of what's lurking around Hogwarts! Until then, everyone. Until then.

Post-edit addition: I'm terrible at this. After Vega got up to go after the grimoire, I kept referring to Ravenclaw Tower instead of the dungeons! I had to change that all out on the fly, so it might read a little clunky. I guess after seven books of Harry and friends being Ravenclaws, it's hard to change old habits. I think I got all the references, anyway. If any remain, and this goes for future chapters, please just mentally replace them as you read and throw me a message so I can change them, yeah? Oi...


	12. Fear Itself

"Damn it, when I find him I'm going to give him a black eye!" Snarled Hydrus under his breath as the prefects began lining their House's students up. "Why isn't he back yet?"

"He should be okay, right?" Viola asked, fidgeting next to her twin. "He probably just lost track of time reading..."

"Do you think we're that lucky? Do you think _he's _ that lucky?" Hydrus barked, jerking his head sharply to look his sister in the eyes. She flinched, which made him pause for a moment. Closing his eyes, he drew in a slow breath. "I'm sorry."

"I'm scared, too. We'll find him..." Viola said, her voice quiet.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Finding him." Hydrus said, opening his eyes and staring at the doors. When they opened and the prefects began leading students back to their House's common rooms, Hydrus slipped his wand out of the sleeve of his robes, twirling it around so no one could see it. Viola noticed and followed suit, grabbing at her brother's robe sleeve afterwards.

When the four groups had split apart, and the Slytherins were heading downstairs, Hydrus glanced aside at Viola, who nodded in return. She had been planning on using them after everyone was back in the common room, to help break any tension in the air from the night's talk of the monster. Now, she was going to have to use them as a distraction so she and Hydrus could get away from the rest of their Housemates. When they rounded a corner and started passing by some empty classrooms, Viola pulled a handful of Wildfire Whiz-Bangs from her robes, triggered them, and dropped them on the ground.

For a few seconds, they lay motionless, nobody noticing the dark-colored fireworks in the poorly-lit hallway. The silence was broken when they went off, scaring the prefect at the back of the line half to death in the process and diverting enough attention for the Malfoy twins to duck into one of the classrooms. Door quickly shutting behind them, Viola whispered, "Now we have to hope they don't try to get rid of the stupid things."

An explosion from the corridor outside made the two wince. Hydrus muttered, "You had to open your big mouth, didn't you?"

"Sorry! Force of habit!" Whispered Viola, brow creased.

After a few minutes of trying and failing to get the product of another set of twins' minds to go away, the Slytherin prefects gave up and ordered the students to double-time it to the common room. They said that they would just have to go and get one of the professors to come and deal with the problem. By the time the hall was clear, Hydrus looked ready to punch a wall. Viola followed him out of the room quietly, trailing behind him as the two hurried towards the Pit. She didn't like seeing Hydrus like this, in a state where he was unable to maintain his normally level head. He did his best to keep a calm demeanor, but the moment someone he cared about was in trouble, that collected exterior gave way to a short-fused anger.

It didn't help that, once they had reached the Entrance Hall again, they had to pause for a few more minutes. The central stairway was being uncooperative, and was keeping the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws from getting up to their respective towers. After bickering amongst themselves for awhile, one of the Gryffindor prefects apparently saw something out of the corner of his eye, as a bolt of gold sparks flew toward the wall. When it connected, Peeves jumped out, cursing like a sailor. Almost instantly, as the poltergeist soared upwards, the stairs returned to their normal behavior and the two groups could be on their ways.

"Hurry the hell up!" Hissed Hydrus, glaring up at the seemingly-incompetent older students.

"Hydrus..." Viola began, stopping and looking up as the scene unfolded. Even before all of the students had cleared the stairs, Hydrus had bolted from the spot he and Viola were waiting at. She reached out to try and stop him, but came up short. With no other options, she took off after him, quickly falling back in step next to him. The rest of the trip went in silence, with only the sounds of their shoes hitting the stone floors filling the otherwise silent night.

They were a few halls away from the Pit's hidden entrance when Viola heard a strange noise. She reached out and got a tight grip on her brother's robes, forcing him to stop as well. He whirled around to ask her what she was doing, but she slapped a hand over his mouth. Raising a finger to her lips to try and keep him quiet, she looked around the seemingly empty hall, listening for the sound she had heard. Hydrus reached up and pulled her hand from over his mouth and pointed to his ear. She nodded at him and the two split apart, wands raised, each taking a different side of the hall. There were several small alcoves down this hall, some with suits of armor filling them, some empty.

Viola wasn't even sure what the noise was, as she hadn't heard it again. It almost sounded like a strangled gasp being choked back, but without hearing it again, she couldn't be certain. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her legs felt weak. What if Hydrus had been right, and Vega had been attacked by the monster? What if it was still around? And what if her brother's fear of 'finding' Vega came true? She swallowed hard, trying to push the prospect from her mind. Focusing on her breathing to try and slow it down, she followed Hydrus' pace and began checking each alcove, aiming her wand in and preparing to start firing the first spell that came to mind if she saw anything she didn't recognize.

A panicked cry split the silence and caused Viola to spin around, wand high again, only to have something run past her. Hydrus was giving chase and shouted back at her, "Hurry!"

She stared at him as he rounded a corner, then pushed off after him, certainly not wanting to let him face whatever he had found on his own. As she struggled to catch up, more awful thoughts pushed their way into her head. She didn't like the look Hydrus had just given her. Her brother didn't get scared. She knew the way they were heading, as it dead-ended with an old, long-unused classroom filled with chamberpots for some reason. She wasn't sure if Hydrus was trying to corral whatever they were chasing or if whatever they were chasing was trying to do the same to them.

"Stop!" Came Hydrus' voice, sounding like he was struggling with something. "Dammit, stop fighting with me!"

"Get away from me!" Came a terrified, high-pitched voice that instantly made Viola's stomach churn. She finally caught up with her brother moments later, only to see him fighting to keep an absolutely terror-stricken Vega from wrestling his way out of his grasp. He had caught him around the waist and was trying to keep him from breaking loose, despite the smaller boy's wild flails and attempts to hit his friend.

"Vega!" Cried Viola, running over and causing Vega to freeze momentarily. The minute he heard her, he turned his wild-eyed face to look up at her. It was almost as though whatever panic had taken hold of him had washed over him anew, as he let out another scream and doubled his efforts to break free of Hydrus' hold.

"Help me keep him still!" Yelled Hydrus, fighting to avoid getting hit by the random kicks and punches that Vega was weakly trying to hit him with. Viola rushed over and put her arms around the both of them, pulling them into something of a hug and forcing Vega to stop moving so much. But, despite their best efforts, Vega let his legs go limp under him. Not expecting him to dead leg them, Vega flung himself away from the Malfoys, but quickly saw that he had launched himself in the wrong direction. All that was in front of him was the classroom filled with chamberpots. He whirled around and pressed his body back against the door, grabbing for his wand shakily.

Hydrus and Viola looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Viola put a hand on Hydrus' arm and slowly started toward Vega, who instantly had his wand trained on her. Viola quickly put her wand away and raised her hands. "Vega? It's me... you know who I am, right? I'm not going to hurt you. Hydrus isn't going to hurt you, either... come on, put your wand away..."

"No!" Cried Vega, his voice a few octaves higher than normal. "Stay away from me! I'm not falling for that twice in a row!"

"Twice in a row?" Viola repeated, looking confused. "Vega, what are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid! That won't work on me!" Vega exclaimed, his wand arm getting shakier. "I'll... I'll use that spell again if I have to!"

"Vega, it's us! We're your friends! We've known each other our entire lives!" Viola said, sounding more than a little panicked herself. "What's _wrong_? What happened? We got away from the prefects as soon as we could!"

"He was attacked, obviously." Hydrus said. "The question is, by what? And why does he think we're going to do the same?"

"We're not going to do anything to you, Vega." Viola said, controlling her voice to make herself sound calmer than she was feeling. "Come on... let's go back to the Pit and you can tell us what happened... alright?"

"_NO_!" Vega screamed, red sparks flying wildly from the end of his wand. Viola threw herself to one side to avoid them, and they crashed into the wall, dissipating harmlessly.

"Vega, please! Don't make me stun you!"

"Get away from me!" Vega cried, wand moving between Viola and Hydrus now, tears spilling down his face. "Just get... get away from me... please..."

Narrowing his eyes, Hydrus began walking for Vega this time, and his wand immediately went to solely targeting him. "Snap out of it, Potter! We didn't come here to hurt you, but you're making it very hard to keep to that resolve!"

When Vega fired again, Hydrus dodged to one side, breaking into a sprint and slamming into Vega before the smaller boy could react. He grabbed Vega's arms, pinned them to his sides, and yelled, "_Look_ at me, Potter!"

But Vega's eyes were squeezed tightly shut and he seemed to be bracing himself for some sort of impact. Viola got up and was quickly at their side, reaching out to put her hand on Vega's cheek. At this, he did open his eyes, staring at Viola as though she had grown a second head.

"No matter what happened to you, you're safe now. We're here and we won't let anything else happen, alright? You've gotta calm down, okay? Tell us what happened..." She said, her voice breaking as she spoke to him.

"Vivi? It... your hand is warm..." Vega said, looking almost exhausted suddenly. Confusion evident on his face, he slowly turned to look up at Hydrus. After trying to speak for awhile, he finally closed his eyes again and, very quietly, whispered, "A...are you still mad at me...?"

"Still mad at you?" Hydrus replied, looking confused as well. "Potter, you aren't making any sense. I'm frustrated, I'm worried, but I'm certainly not angry at you."

"B-but..."

"Vega, we've been in the Great Hall all this time, just like we said... this is the first time we've seen you since you left. What happened? Did you get to your dad's book before you got attacked? Did you get back to the Pit? Talk to us..." Viola said, putting her hand on Hydrus' chest and pushing him back a little.

Hydrus backed off, keeping an eye on Vega's arm wand, just in case. He looked back to Vega's face in time to see something clear up in his eyes. Whatever was going on in his mind, he was reaching a realization about something. Whatever it was, it seemed to be knocking some sort of fear back into him, as a terrified expression quickly returned to his face. His legs buckled, this time for real, and he dropped hard to the ground, his body shaking rather violently.

Viola was at his side in an instant, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. Almost immediately, he had spun around to clutch at her robes, breaking down into tears again. She held onto him as he cried, rubbing his back slowly and trying not to do the same. She certainly didn't feel as strong as she was acting. She was confused, scared, and tired, in that order. Hydrus knelt down next to the two and asked quietly, "What happened?"

Slowly managing to regain his composure, Vega eventually pulled away from Viola, wiping at his eyes and blushing faintly. "I... I was attacked by the monster." He said, looking down at the floor. "It got to me on my way to the Pit."

"Did it hurt you?" Asked Viola.

"Maybe not physically, but it certainly did something to him." Hydrus murmured.

Vega nodded at this, pushing himself up to his feet. "It's so stupid... now that you two are here, I just..." He paused, closing his eyes and blowing out a long, shaky sigh. "I think I know what it is now. Come on... I dropped the book when Hyde found me hiding..."

"Is that what you were doing?" Viola asked as Vega began to lead the three back to where their chase had begun. "So you managed to escape from the monster?"

"Yeah, but... not before it messed me up..." Vega said, hugging himself and looking rather embarrassed. "When Hyde said he hadn't been mad, something clicked..."

"What do you mean?" Asked Hydrus.

"I'll show you..." Vega said. He didn't expound until the three had returned to the alcove that Vega had been hiding in. There, propped against the wall, was Harry's grimoire. Picking the book up and speaking the password, Vega opened it and rapidly began flipping through the pages. "It's the reason the monster's been described two ways... three if my experience counted... and why the damage to the victims was always different. ...Here, look."

Vega turned the book around so the twins could see the page it was open to. Licking his lips, Vega murmured, "There's an aggressive boggart loose in the castle. That has to be what it is."

"No one knows what they look like, since they turn into whatever you fear most." Hydrus said, frowning. "The first victim was obviously scared of manticores. Who knows what the second's turned into. But you got away from it without any physical harm done to you. So that means it came at you differently than it did the first two, didn't it?"

"Right in one." Vega said, slamming the book shut and ducking his head, blushing. "Can... can we go to the Pit? I really need something to drink. And to sit down. I really don't feel very good."

"You don't look very good, either." Viola said, walking over and putting her hand on Vega's back as they started walking again. "God, you scared me... I've never seen you look like that. I never want to see you look like that again, either."

"Sorry, Vivi..." Vega apologized, his head still ducked. "It's... hard to explain. This isn't going to be very fun. I really don't want to think about that thing."

"How did it get close to you, anyway?" Hydrus asked. "Weren't you minding your surroundings?"

"Of course I was. But that's the problem. The damn thing didn't care about my surroundings. I heard a voice call out to me and I turned around, because I didn't think anyone else would be out." Vega explained. "We talked for awhile, but something seemed off. I asked, and..."

"And?" Hydrus prodded.

"You saw how I was." Vega whispered. "It didn't hit me, but it definitely attacked me. I was scared. I didn't know why it was happening. I turned and ran, but it chased after me. Eventually, I found that spot in the wall to hide in. Guess being small and hard to spot worked in my favor for once, huh? I saw it run by, still looking like that person... it was probably long gone by the time you guys got to me..."

Reaching the Pit, Vega offloaded the grimoire onto one of the chairs at the back of the room, shambling over to the couch and throwing himself down on it. "I guess I'm lucky, if you could call it that, that my fear is something stupid..."

Hydrus leaned against the back of the couch, and Viola sat next to Vega, still rubbing at his back as he stared at the flames burning in the fireplace. "It isn't stupid if you're scared of it. There has to be a reason for something like that, yeah?" She said. "I'm scared by a lot of stuff people would probably find dumb. Doesn't mean that fear's any less real."

"I guess." Vega said, sighing and leaning forward against his knees. "Damn it, this is gonna be a long night. _DOBBY_!"

If the sudden shout Vega had let out hadn't made the twins jump, the loud **CRACK **from the house elf's appearance would have. Bowing to Vega, Dobby smiled at him and asked, "Vega Potter is calling for Dobby, sir?"

"Yeah... can you get me some Floo Powder, Dobby? I need to fire-call McGonagall. You know how there's some kind of monster running loose in the castle?" Vega asked.

"Oh, yes, sir. We house elves is constantly talking about what it might be, sir. We is scared to go out at night to do our duties, but we is good elves, so we is doing what is asked!" Dobby proclaimed, smiling proudly.

Returning Dobby's smile weakly, Vega nodded. "I know what it is. Because I got attacked by it - no, calm down, I'm fine!" He added, seeing Dobby's huge eyes somehow getting even larger. "Vivi and Hyde got to me and helped me. But I need to talk to McGonagall and let _her _know. A boggart's what's doing all of this, Dobby. At least, I'm pretty sure it is."

"The house elves are right to be scared. You're fighting fear itself." Hydrus said, his voice quiet. "How do you even know what you're seeing isn't what it claims to be? Until it's close enough to attack, I mean."

"A boggart, sir..." Dobby repeated, sucking in a sharp breath. "Dobby is not liking boggarts, sir. At Dobby's former place of employment..." Here, the house elf cast a quick, nervous look to the Malfoy twins. "...Er...Dobby was having to find and dispose of many boggarts, sir."

"You were? Can house elf magic kill a boggart, then?" Asked Vega.

Dobby shook his head quickly, his floppy ears bouncing. "No, sir, we cannot kill them. House elf magic is very powerful, but boggarts is different. Boggarts is _unnatural_, sir..."

"Great... well, there goes that idea. Anyway, could you bring me some Floo Powder? I hate to get ahold of her, because I know she's going to yell at us, but it wasn't our fault this time. Stupid thing found me!" Vega said.

"While you were out against her wishes to claim your book." Stated Hydrus. "Which I warned you about, did I not?"

"Not now, Hydrus!" Snapped Viola, glaring at her twin.

"No, Hyde's right, Vivi. I shouldn't have been so impatient. Look what it did to me..." Vega said.

"One moment, Vega Potter, sir. Dobby will be right back!" Said he house elf, who vanished and reappeared a moment later with a small bowl of Floo Powder in hand. "Here you are, sir! Is Vega Potter knowing how to fire call people?"

Vega nodded, taking a handful of the dust and walking over to the fireplace. "This is gonna suck, though..."

With that, he tossed the Powder into the flames and called out for the headmistress' office. There was a pause where nothing happened, then McGonagall's confused-looking head appeared in the fire. "Mr. Potter? How did...?"

"I'm in...uh... oh, dad must've stayed here. He called it the Pit." Vega said, fumbling over his words.

"Is there a _reason _you are in Dilys Derwent's former chambers, Mr. Potter?" Asked McGonagall, affixing a stern look his way.

"I... yeah, I came down here because I got attacked..." Vega said, his voice quiet.

"You were attacked?" Repeated McGonagall, her voice rising. "Are you alright? What attacked you?"

"It... I'd rather not say, professor, but yes, I'm alright. Listen, professor, I think it's a boggart that's been attacking people. This book dad gave me has a section on boggarts. I bet if you go to the first girl who was attacked, she'd say the thing that scares her the most is manticores. Same with the second victim. I got attacked by someone I knew... someone who was in the Great Hall at the time." Vega explained, the words spilling out of his mouth rapidly.

"A boggart..." McGonagall echoed again. "...Mr. Potter, if that's true, then it does explain why we can't find it. Boggarts have been known to squeeze themselves into very tiny spaces. But that also makes things more difficult. We've only looked in places large monsters could hide. If we're meant to try and look into every nook and cranny of the school, hunting down a creature that almost no one knows the true form of..." She paused, muttering under her breath, "If Alastor Moody hadn't betrayed us, it would have made this a lot easier..."

"So... so you think I might be right?" Asked Vega.

"I think it isn't the first time tonight that someone has brought the subject up." McGonagall stated. "You are lucky that I was still up. Your father just called by fire, as well. It seems as though he has been looking into the matter in his spare time, as well."

"Yeah, he said he was trying to do that." Vega said, nodding. "So he thinks it's a boggart, too?"

"He said that he would bet all of the gold in his vault on it. At this point, two separate Potters have told me the exact same thing. Given the history of your family in this school, Mr. Potter, I daresay that I should at least give you two the benefit of the doubt." She sighed, then shook her head. "I will make an announcement tomorrow morning. I don't want the three of you to leave the chambers you're in, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Vega said, staring down at the floor again.

"We will discuss your punishment for being out on your own at a later time as well." McGonagall added. "Do you understand _that_?"

"Yes, ma'am." Vega repeated, his voice even quieter. "I... went to get that book of dad's that I mentioned. I didn't think it was safe to leave it in the dorm..."

"Be that as it may, Mr. Potter, you could have waited until daylight to move it. Seeing as how you've helped give us a potential lead on the creature, only one day's worth of detention will suffice. But I don't want to see any of you trying to find the boggart on your own, do you understand? That you managed to get off injury-free is nothing short of a miracle. I won't have you wasting that. The staff and anyone else we can bring in to assist will search for where the boggart has made its home. All I want you three to worry about is your studies."

Vega nodded, and the twins murmured a quiet 'Yes ma'am' of their own.

"Remember - do not leave the former headmistress' quarters until tomorrow morning. I will come by and pick you up myself. Yes, Mr. Potter, I'm fully aware of where in the castle you are. I assume you and your friends plan to utilize those rooms as your parents did?"

"Not sure. It's nice having somewhere quiet to go to, though. Are we not allowed to be here?" Asked Vega.

"So long as you don't press your luck by dabbling in things you shouldn't, it should be fine." Said McGonagall.

Vega smiled a little then. "You aren't just saying that because I'm your godson, are you?"

McGonagall sputtered for a moment before giving Vega a withering glare, a look that was very odd indeed coming from the middle of a roaring fire. "Mr. Potter, don't tempt fate twice in one night. Honestly, I'm starting to think your parents did that just to try and ensure this sort of thing. I do not play favorites, however. Now then, I have a few calls to make before I turn in. I do hope Gareth hasn't gone to bed. He's going to need to change his curriculum around for a few weeks, it seems..."

With that, the headmistress' head vanished from the flames, which died back down to normal size. Vega let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. "That actually went better than I thought it would've... now I really need that drink, though..."

"Feeling any better?" Asked Viola.

"Not really." Vega said, getting up and heading for the dining room. "You guys want anything?"

"Bring me back something not pumpkin juice." Viola said.

"I'm fine." Hydrus said. "Though I do have a question."

"What is it?" Asked Vega.

"What will the sleeping arrangements be? You only have the one bed here." Hydrus said, nodding toward the bedroom door.

"I'll take the couch." Vega said, a little too quickly. Catching himself, he continued, "You guys can share the bed, right? It's big enough that even with Viola thrashing around, you should make it through the night without getting injured."

"Not so sure of that." Hydrus said, eyeballing his sister warily. "I'd rather not end up with a black eye. Or worse..."

"Well why don't I take the couch, then?" Viola suggested, glaring at the boys. "That way, neither of you princesses has to worry about my 'thrashing around.'"

"No!" Vega said, his voice slightly higher than it should have been. Turning back to face the dining room door, he muttered, "Already not going to get any sleep..."

"It'll be alright, Potter. It's just a boggart. If that is what the creature is, then the staff should be able to find it soon enough."

"It isn't alright." Vega said, sounding as tired as he looked now. "It's not _going _to be alright until the boggart is gone..."

Closing the door behind him as he entered the dining room, Vega walked to the far side of the table before sitting. Slumping forward in his seat, he drew in a shaky breath, slowly blowing it back out. He had almost calmed down, and that's when they decided to work on sleeping arrangements? The day, Vega considered, couldn't possibly get any worse. He was doing a rather poor job at controlling his mood, which was annoying him to no end. He really didn't feel like answering any questions. Not about the boggart, and not anything else Viola or Hydrus might pick up on.

"Something cold." He said, glancing at the table. "Really, really cold."

A goblet filled to the brim with ice cubes appeared before him. He stared at it for a moment before glaring off at the floor. The house elves, he considered, were being smart with him. Pushing the ice filled goblet aside, he leaned back in his seat and muttered, "I meant something cold to drink."

Another goblet appeared in front of him, this time filled with a dark liquid that Vega didn't immediately recognize. Reaching out and picking the goblet up, he took a sniff. "...Ah. Blueberry juice."

With a sigh, he took a sip. He didn't feel like having a match of wits against the house elves after the day he had been having. The blueberry juice would have to suffice, even if he hated the stuff. Sighing again, he closed his eyes and sunk down in the chair a little. He was about to take another drink when he heard a sudden, dull noise come from the main room of the Pit. He looked up in time to see Viola enter, shutting the door behind her. She was scowling as she crossed the room, sitting in the chair nearest Vega.

"...Something happen?" Asked Vega.

"Hydrus being Hydrus." Viola stated. "No worries, though. I convinced the big jerk I wouldn't break any of his bones while he was asleep. Even decided to give him a headstart on getting to sleep. It always takes him forever to settle in."

"Ahh." Vega said, focusing back on his goblet.

As he raised it to take that second sip, Viola suddenly asked, "It turned into Hydrus, didn't it?"

Vega choked on the blueberry juice, pushing his chair back and dissolving into a coughing fit. Viola was at his side in an instant, patting his back until he caught his breath. She gave him an apologetic smile as he turned to look up at her. "Sorry... guess that means I was right, huh?"

Groaning, Vega set the goblet down and let his head thump against the table. In a small voice, he murmured, "Don't tell him?"

"Of course." Viola agreed. "...You wanna talk about it?"

Vega shook his head a little. "It's complicated... don't really understand it very well, either..."

Nodding, Viola stepped back and offered Vega a hand. "Come on, then. Let's go out where it's warm. I won't pry, don't worry."

Vega looked at her hand for a moment, turned and got one last drink from his goblet, and accepted her help up. She immediately pulled him into a hug, whispering, "If you ever want to tell me, I'll be here, okay? Whatever it is, I promise I won't get mad or anything."

Vega, blushing at the sudden contact, simply nodded in response. When she released him, he gave her a tired smile. "Thanks, Vivi..."

"Don't gotta thank me." Viola said, walking around behind her friend and gently pushing him toward the door. "Try and cheer up though, alright? The boggart'll be caught and everything'll go normal for us for a change. All you need to focus on is Quidditch and school work."

Snorting, Vega pulled away from Viola's grasp to open the door again, stepping back into the main room and heading for the couch. "Yes, mother."

Viola followed him, sitting beside him and sticking out her tongue. "...So, hey, you want me to go grab you a pillow or blanket or anything?"

"Nah. I should be okay. I won't sleep much tonight. Not after the night I've had." Vega said, shrugging. "You go get some sleep, though, okay? I'll be fine by morning. Might have to float me around if I fall asleep standing up, but..."

"You fall asleep, I'll just dump some ice cubes into your robes." Viola said, smirking.

"You do and I'll find someone to lob you into the lake." Vega declared, leaning away from Viola.

"Yes, yes, you're very threatening." Viola said, reaching out and ruffling Vega's hair. "I guess I'll go see if Mr. Delicate in there's gotten to sleep yet. You sure you'll be fine out here without pillows and stuff?"

"Yeah. I've fallen asleep on the couch before. It's comfortable enough as is." Vega said.

"Alright..." Viola replied, not quite sounding convinced. "...Well, good night then, Vega. Oh, and uh, I'll try to wake up first. Guess the last thing you need right now is Hydrus looming over you first thing in the morning."

"Yeah... thanks again, Vivi." Vega said.

"No problem, chief. G'night."

He watched her enter the bedroom, closing the door behind her, before turning and staring at the flames still roaring a few feet in front of him. He had dodged a bullet there, but only just. Despite what she had said, Vega knew she would be mad if he told her. Turning, he let himself stretch out on the couch, trying not to look at the hole the beholder had left behind. Viola wouldn't understand because _he _didn't understand. How could he explain something when he wasn't able to even work it out properly to himself?

"This sucks." He muttered to himself, eyes moving back to the fire. As his gaze turned, he thought he saw something that shouldn't have been there. Something on one edge of the mantle over the fireplace. Sitting back up, he leaned forward and looked again. But nothing was there now. Frowning, he watched the spot for awhile before laying back down. The day, he decided, was getting the better of him. He needed some sleep if he was starting to see random, flickering things that weren't really there.

Bringing an arm up to cover his eyes so the light from the fire wouldn't keep him awake, Vega tried to relax his body. It was an exercise in futility, he knew, but at the very least he could rest his eyes. He just had to think of something other than the boggart. This proved to be harder than he had imagined it would be, as every topic he tried settling on eventually led back to it. In the end, he decided to just wonder what surly house elf had been on drink duty that night.

The day, he had decided, had been long indeed. The night, he was now deciding, was going to be even longer.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Hey, check it out. Didn't take three months to write this one.

That's because we finally got a little character development. The first of quite such things that we'll see along our new journey here. Vega's got more than a few issues he needs to try and work out. Ah, but these are very delicate, very private matters. What then happens when Defense classes turn to dealing with boggarts, with lessons covering what everyone fears? Where then will our confused little hero-to-be turn?

Before I started on R-2, I decided about a dozen things I wanted to occur throughout the books. Lapis became important when initially only the trio were. Bill Weasley will make an appearance in a prominent role in book 2. A familiar name on an unfamiliar character will show up in book 3. And the rather confused, strange, and sometimes questionable nature of the relationships that will turn up were all hammered out. Vega's got a long, strange journey ahead of him. He'll battle his split personality problem, deal with feelings he isn't sure he should have, deal with anger he isn't sure is placed correctly, be forced to take up the role of hero whether he wants to or not, and eventually finish a war that has spanned over one thousand years when all is told.

In book 2, Vega will be trying to work out a number of mysteries within the school walls, only one of which deals with the next monster to be set loose. In book 3, a series of strange events will see the main characters trying to figure out who's making students turn on themselves. In book 4, Iscariot returns to try and lock the school down for continuing to house what they deem dark and dangerous creatures. In books 5 and 6, old enemies and creatures long thought wiped out will return to plague the lands. And in book 7, Vega will have to do the one thing his father never could.

But right now, he's still just a scared little boy. Confused by feelings he doesn't understand and living in a world that he doesn't think he fits into. He's got a long way to go. I've already decided who will live and who will die by R-2's end. Don't worry - I haven't forgotten any loose threads from R-1. The glimmer on the mantle, the hole in the ceiling, and the characters that we've been unable to hunt down so far will all make appearances.

Things are ramping up now, and I finally have that itch to keep writing that's been lost for so long. I needed one good push, and this might be what did it. I'll see you next time, when Hogwarts finds out what has been attacking it and we start to see the measures the school and its students take to combat such a monster.


	13. A Call to Arms

"A boggart?"

"I wasn't attacked by a boggart! It was a manticore! It didn't change when it got through with me!"

"But it makes sense, doesn't it? No one's ever seen the same thing."

"So it attacked again?"

"I wonder what Defense is going to be like now..."

Vega scowled, head lowered on the Slytherin table, as the Great Hall eagerly talked about the news that McGonagall had passed along. Once everyone had arrived for breakfast, she had stood to make her announcement. Defense classes were being changed, starting that day, to discuss how to handle boggarts effectively and to put everyone through training. To that end, another boggart, one kept sealed in a large chest, had been brought in overnight. It was currently in Professor Tadyggbo's class, being watched over by the Gryffindor prefects. When Tadyggbo wasn't around to personally keep watch on it, it was to be guarded.

Naturally, the news started a lot of noisy debating on whether the first two victims had actually been attacked by what they claimed. Vega was trying not to listen. Despite the fact that he didn't have to share the place he had slept, he had gotten almost no sleep that night. The sound of the students talking may as well have been someone using an airhorn next to his ear. From beside him, Viola was looking over, nervously.

"Maybe you should skip breakfast and go lay down." She suggested.

"McGonagall'd have my hide if I left by myself again." Vega muttered, not moving his head. "And I'm not being escorted to what are, effectively, my own personal quarters."

"Well, at least try to eat something, yeah?"

"I've never felt like eating less." Vega groused. "Not only can I not go anywhere on my own, I didn't get any sleep, everyone's being too bloody noisy, and we have to face a boggart in Tadyggbo's class. I'm _not _in a good mood."

Viola's eyes quickly shifted to and from her brother, who was sitting opposite her and Vega. "Maybe you can talk to McGonagall about it?"

Vega snorted. "Do you really think that'll fly after I was attacked? I wasn't able to do a thing about it."

"I still don't see what the big deal is." Hydrus said, paying little attention to any of the talk around him. "Everyone will have to show what they're afraid of. Everyone has at least one thing they're scared of that other people would find silly."

"Entirely not the same for me." Vega said.

"How so?"

Vega remained quiet at this, but Viola looked back to her brother and responded, "I have a pretty good idea what his boggart would turn into. It'd raise a lot of questions, Hydrus. It'd be better if he could skip it. The spell can't be that hard if first years like us can cast it."

"Regardless, I don't see any way for him to get out of this. Maybe he can convince Tadyggbo to let him take the test separately from everyone else." Hydrus said, shrugging.

"Hyde. What're you afraid of?" Asked Vega.

"Losing Viola." Hydrus answered, looking over. "Specifically, her being pulled under by the grindylow that nearly caused her to drown." He paused, glancing up thoughtfully. "...I'm not sure how something like that would manifest, though."

Blushing fiercely, Viola squeaked, "_That's_ what you're scared of? Vega, if it's all the same to you, I'm gonna make Tadyggbo let my idiot brother take _his _test separately from everyone else, too! I don't want everyone seeing that, you jerk!"

"Seeing what, you drowning? I don't want to see it, either." Hydrus said, sounding rather put off by the prospect.

"No! Seeing me in a swimsuit!" Hissed Viola, still bright red.

Hydrus blinked at this for a moment. "Oh. Yes, I suppose it would have to manifest that way, wouldn't it? Hm..."

"Don't 'hm' at me, you idiot! Think of something else to be scared about!" Viola cried.

"You say that like it's easy. Go on then, what about you? Isn't your fear the same as me? Drowning?" Asked Hydrus.

"No! I'm fine with being in deep water, Hydrus, if you didn't notice! And I can't even get revenge because you haven't ever done anything stupid and embarrassing!" Viola griped, looking about as surly as Vega felt now. "And what I'm afraid of is none of your business. You'll see just like everyone else. You can wait."

"Well, that isn't very fair. I was open about what I was afraid of." Pointed out Hydrus.

"I don't see what you're complaining about." Vega muttered. "It's not like you're fat or ugly and you don't have any embarrassing marks on your body. Besides, you always wear one piece swimsuits."

"See? Potter doesn't have a problem with it." Hydrus said, grabbing for a slice of toast and some butter.

"Traitorous swine!" Viola cried, swatting Vega on the arm and eliciting a small smile from him. "I'm not very fond of _either _of you!"

"The world won't end by you not being fond of us." Vega said, finally pushing himself upright. "You've looked fine in all the swimsuits I've ever seen you in. I daresay there are worse things in the world than having people know what your legs look like."

"See? Potter thinks you look fine, too." Hydrus said, trying to bite back a smile now.

"You two are insufferable, has anyone ever told you that?" Viola asked, ducking her head to try and make her blush go away.

"Revenge on all the times you've embarrassed me." Vega stated. "Ugh... guess I should at least have a slice or two of toast. Pass the plate over, Hyde."

Hydrus did as he was asked. "On the bright side, if it really is a boggart, then we should be safe in small groups. Even if it went for one person, the others would be there to help out."

"What about the first victim? Over there harping on about it since McGonagall stopped talking, in fact. The manticore was the same for both of them." Vega said.

"Maybe they're both scared of manticores. Did her friend ever actually turn around?" Asked Hydrus.

"Can't remember." Vega said. "Well, whatever the case, I _hope _it's just a boggart. If they aren't bringing outside help in over this, it jolly well better be something that simple."

"If it turns out to be worse, I'm sure either the Aurors or one of our parents can come in to help out with the search." Hydrus said. "I'm not even really sure how one would begin searching for a boggart, though. If you're looking for something with no apparent base form, how do you find it?"

"I wonder how they reproduce. I mean, I guess they could have a solid form they're in when no one's around, but..." Vega trailed off, chewing a bit of toast and looking confused. "Maybe they split into two or something."

"Can we not talk about boggart reproductive systems at breakfast? I already feel ill." Viola mumbled, grabbing her fork again and stabbing a bit of egg.

Vega was about to argue, but a sudden clamor from the Ravenclaw table drew his attention away. Lapis Eskander was standing, looking murderous, and was glaring at a second year boy across from him. Through gritted teeth, he hissed something out, but Vega was unable to tell what, before turning and storming out of the Great Hall. Valerie and Samantha were quick to follow, also casting glares back at their House's table.

"...Wonder what that was about." Vega said.

"Perhaps the Ravenclaws were also discussing what scared them. Clearly, Eskander is in the same boat as you are, Potter." Hydrus replied. "Probably relating to whatever's had him looking so haggard."

"Gonna stop one of the girls and see what it is." Viola said. "I'm tired of not knowing."

"Don't butt in." Hydrus reprimanded. "It's none of our business."

"They're more or less our friends, aren't they? I wanna know what's got Lapis acting so strange." Viola argued. "Vega's with me, aren't you, Vega?"

"Leave me out of this." Vega said, pushing himself up from the table. "I wanna get away from this noise, though. You two want to escort me to the Pit? McGonagall'd have me in detention for a month if I went alone."

"It beats arguing." Hydrus said. "Though the chances of her chewing the lot of us out is pretty high too, don't you think?"

"She can't keep students from being alone all the time. People gotta hit the lav at some point, right?" Asked Vega. "What's she gonna do? Sit outside and wait?"

Viola snorted. "The last thing I'd want is something like that. You'd never be able to go."

"Can we _not _think about this?" Hydrus said, looking sour. "Come on, Potter. Different direction - like Quidditch."

"Fine, fine. Deprive me of all my fun." Vega said, scowling. "Though if Danielson asks us to train out in this weather, I'll stuff him in a closet and put Peeves on guard duty..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Point one - find an empty closet. Point two - see if Peeves is feeling charitable. Point three - I'm not tall enough to stuff anyone in anything, so I'll need to recruit assistance."

Vega muttered darkly under his breath as he sat on his broom, not paying attention to the sounds coming from below him. Danielson was on the ground, barking orders, but he was doing his damnedest to ignore that, as well. He knew how to catch the blasted Snitch. He didn't need an overly-eager captain yelling for him to 'look harder.' It was freezing out that day, with high winds chilling Vega to the bone. It didn't help that he needed to fly higher than the others.

"Half a mind to swing down, grab a Bludger bat, and chuck it at Danielson's pointy head..." He continued to himself, glaring down at the ground. Spinning around and rising a bit further in the hopes of drowning out the Slytherin captain in the winds, Vega closed his eyes. He didn't even want to think about chasing the Snitch in this kind of weather.

For its part, the Snitch didn't seem much for the weather, either, as it soon appeared on the end of Vega's broom, flapping its wings slowly. Snorting, Vega reached out and grabbed hold of it. "At least someone out here agrees with me. But we should probably at least make him think we're doing our jobs, right?"

The Snitch flapped its wings a little harder, struggling to break free of Vega's grasp. When he let go, it vanished. Smirking slightly, Vega leaned forward and started on a slow lap of the Pitch. It was an overcast day, so at the very least, he didn't have to worry about the sun getting in his eyes. He gazed upwards, eyes closing again as the winds whipped around him. He couldn't hear the others down below anymore, though every so often, the crack of a bat hitting a Bludger reminded him of their presence.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he wanted to break away from the Pitch and circle around the castle's towers a few times. He still felt tethered, flying directly over the Pitch and searching for the Snitch. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and gazed at Hogwarts. It seemed larger than ever, now that he knew the creature they were after was most likely a boggart. How did one hunt for something that could fit almost anywhere? The castle was enormous and the amount of hidden passages kept within seemed equally large. Vega wasn't entirely sure even the staff knew of all of them. When Hogwarts wanted to keep its secrets, no one would find them out.

Though it did make him wonder, not for the first time, how the creature had gotten in. Squinting his eyes, he stared at the grounds around the castle. Nothing from his vantage point indicated a break-in. To be fair, with no one knowing what a boggart looked like, it could've gotten in anywhere. If it could fly in its natural form, it could have easily gotten in via one of the numerous towers or windows. A chill ran down Vega's back that had nothing to do with the air as he thought of the hole in the Pit's ceiling. He wasn't sure how big an area the beholder had dug out, or how many branching paths split away from that space. For all he knew, the boggart could very well have been sitting up there.

Shuddering, he pushed the thought from his mind. He didn't want to think about it anymore. But the idea that something had indeed been watching him didn't sit well at all. He tried passing it off as just being his imagination, forcing his gaze on the skies around him, trying to pick up on the Snitch. But the golden ball was nowhere in sight, leaving him with his haunting thoughts. He tried to rationalize with himself. If it had been up there, why wouldn't it just come out and attack him? He had slept down there on his own numerous times already.

But this line of thought only made him shiver harder. The thought of something in the darkness watching him but not attacking was almost worse than if it _had _come out to strike. That meant it could've been sitting up there, staring down at him as he slept. He decided, when practice ended, that he would drag the twins down to the Pit to help him seal up the hole. If nothing else, he could ask McGonagall to inspect the stupid thing for him.

Sighing, he leaned back on his Lightwing, shaking his head slowly. Too many possibilities. It was like one giant puzzle that he didn't have a completed picture of for guidance. Somewhere down below, he could hear someone yelling again, but he still didn't care enough to listen. Though the fact that it had been awhile since the Snitch showed up to taunt him was odd.

It wasn't until the voice came from directly behind him that Vega gave a start, whirling around to see not Ian Danielson, but Lapis Eskander, who looked rather put-out.

"Losing your head in the clouds, Potter?" Lapis asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Bit cold for that, don't you think?"

Vega blinked, looking down at the ground. His team was nowhere in sight. He turned to look up at the castle, but he didn't see anyone walking up to it. Frowning, he asked, "How long have they been gone?"

"Awhile." Lapis stated. "I came out here to try and clear my head. Didn't know you guys had the Pitch reserved today. Crossed paths with them just before I got here. Your captain said I should try getting your attention, since he wasn't having any luck."

Scowling, Vega glared up at the school. "First he makes me come out here in the cold, then he can't be arsed to send anyone up here to inform me practice is over? Forget locking him in a closet, I'm gonna duct tape him to the ceiling..."

"You're going to _what_?" Lapis asked.

"...Nevermind. Thanks for coming up and telling me. At least someone around here still knows how to be polite..." Vega said, turning back towards the Ravenclaw.

Lapis shrugged. "Don't read too much into it. I just wanted some alone time in the air. Couldn't do that with you spacing out up here."

Vega tilted his head. "...How're you holding up? No offense, Eskander, but you've looked pretty out of it for awhile. Feel like getting it outta your system?"

"To you? Wouldn't be a good idea, Potter." Lapis replied, smirking faintly. "I'll be fine. I'll deal with Tadyggbo and his stupid anti-boggart lesson. Not thrilled at having the school know my secret, though."

"Same here." Vega said. "People already hate me. Have a feeling if this got out, it'd be even worse. Been trying to figure out a different way to handle boggarts than the one McGonagall mentioned, but I haven't turned anything up yet. Nothing I can cast, in any case..."

Lapis raised an eyebrow. "What could _you _have to be worried over, Potter?"

Grinning wanly, Vega looked over. "You'd be surprised. What about you? You seemed pretty ticked off when you left the Great Hall the other day."

"People getting too nosy." Lapis said. "My parents are missing at the moment, that's all."

"Missing?"

"Yeah. They handle dangerous things for the Ministry. They've been missing since before Christmas. I haven't heard anything from them or the Ministry itself." Lapis said.

"So that's what you're scared of?"

Grinning, Lapis shrugged. "It's what I'm worried about, but it's not what I'm scared of people finding out."

"That made a lot of sense, ya know that?" Vega said, his tone dry.

"Hey, unless you feel like being forthcoming with your secret, why should I feel obligated to tell you mine?" Lapis asked.

"Fair enough." Vega said. "Everyone needs at least a few secrets, I suppose. Well, if I figure out a method around the boggarts, want me to pass the info along?"

"I think I have an idea in my mind of what I'll do when it's my turn." Lapis said. "Doubt it would help you with whatever your secret is, though."

"How do you know?"

"Call it a hunch."

Vega gave the Ravenclaw a withering glare, which Lapis smirked at. "Well, whatever." He said, pulling back on his broom slightly. "I'm gonna go and warm up inside. Don't catch a cold up here. You're the only person who's probably going to give me a run for my money this year. Wouldn't do if you got sick."

"Don't worry about me, Potter. I can look out for myself." Lapis said.

Vega kept his eye on Lapis as he descended to the ground. After awhile, the Ravenclaw began flying in a slow circle overhead. Sighing, he hopped off his Lightwing and headed out of the Pitch, his broom propped over his right shoulder. As he walked, he weighed his own secret. If it came down to losing his parents or the school finding out his secret, what would be worse? His parents meant everything to him, especially after he learned that he didn't have any true family on his father's side. All of his father's friends from school acted like they were family when they came by, but he knew it wasn't the same. Losing all of that would be worse than the school finding out he liked Hydrus. That, people would get over. But he would never be able to get his parents back.

Turning as he got near the doors leading into Hogwarts, he turned and stared back at the Pitch. "What the hell could be worse than losing the people you love?"

Frowning, he watched the slowly-moving figure of the Ravenclaw for awhile before turning and heading inside.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Swearing, Vega jerked his Lightwing to one side, narrowly escaping a Bludger that was hit straight up into the air at him. He had been sitting idle and spinning, trying to find the Snitch. His job was being made incredibly difficult, however. Aside from the biting cold still being an issue, a veritable blizzard had rolled in that morning and had decided to linger. Vega could barely feel his fingers, let alone anything else. The goggles Danielson had passed out before the match had begun were the only thing keeping him able to see. Even then, he'd had to wipe the snow off them numerous times.

But it wasn't the cold or the lack of a Snitch that was bothering him most. It was that Lapis Eskander was decidedly off his game that day. Though the two had pushed practically side by side the first and only time the Snitch had made itself known, Vega had seen enough of the Ravenclaw's flying to know when something was wrong. A sudden yell from below made Vega look up. The Bludger was finally coming back down, and seemed intent on smashing into Vega's head to make up for its previous miss.

Flattening himself against his broom, Vega shot off toward the Hufflepuff stands, weaving in and out of the Chasers on both teams. Slytherin's Beaters met him and managed to get the Bludger off of him, but now he was going to have to scan the Pitch again to see if the Snitch had turned up at any point during his little chase. Kicking up higher into the air, and trying to ignore the howling winds, Vega gave himself a quick spin to view the area. Lapis was still flying at the far end, moving in a lazy circle.

Narrowing his eyes, Vega aimed towards his rival and crossed back to the other end of the Pitch. When he drew closer, he slid to a halt, calling out, "You sure you don't have a cold, Eskander?"

"I'm fine, Potter! Worry about yourself!" Lapis called back, eyes narrowing behind his own pair of goggles.

"If you aren't going to give me a good fight up here, then why am I even playing?" Vega called.

"What? We were neck and neck earlier! You gone snow blind already?"

"That was a fluke! You look like you aren't even trying to find the Snitch!"

"I have a lot on my mind, Potter!" Lapis snarled. "Now get the hell away from me and mind your own business before I pull my wand and _make _you move!"

Vega blinked. Raising his hands for a moment, he pulled away from Lapis and began another scan, though his eyes wouldn't focus themselves on anything. What on earth was the Ravenclaw acting so foul for? Was the stress of his parents' disappearance getting the better of him? Was it worrying about Tadyggbo's rapidly approaching class? Was it something else entirely? He had been pretty forthcoming about things when they had last been in the air together.

Yes, Lapis Eskander was definitely not in top form that day. And it was completely throwing Vega off of his own.

Biting back a string of swears, Vega pulled back on his Lightwing and shot farther up into the air. He needed to try and clear his mind, and the only way to do that was to detach himself from the sounds of the game. He ascended until the crack of the Beaters' bats could not longer be heard and the crowd was just a quiet buzz. Wiping his goggles again, Vega flattened himself against his broom and narrowed his eyes, slowly scanning the area below him.

Tiny players darting back and forth. Lapis still turning a slow circle. Movement from all points in the stands. The Quaffle being passed back and forth, intercepted, and flung towards a goal post. The Bludgers, being slammed towards the Chasers. The Keepers trying to keep from having icicles grow on them. A glint caught his eye near the Gryffindor stands, and he immediately went into a rapidly spiraling dive.

Vega cut through the middle of the Chasers and Beaters, jerking the broom up at the last minute to keep from plowing into the ground as he shot toward the Snitch. Lapis' grip on his broom tightened as he launched in the direction Vega was heading as well. To his credit, Lapis managed to catch up to Vega despite the Slytherin getting a sizable head start. Shoulder to shoulder, the two gave chase to the Snitch, which pulled almost straight up into the air.

Biting down on his lower lip, both Seekers pulled up as well, twisting around one another and trying to stay on their brooms as they reached out for the flittering golden ball. Vega pushed himself forward on his broom, cursing his shortness, as Lapis' fingers glanced off the Snitch. Stretching out as the Snitch twisted in the air, Vega's fingers snapped around the Snitch, and he immediately pulled back into another dive. When he got low enough to be properly seen, he raised his hand, the Snitch trying desperately to break free.

That was the end of that. A whistle was lost in the winds as Slytherin's section of the stands erupted into cheers and applause. Vega tilted his head back, staring up at Lapis, who was still a good ways up in the air. Gritting his teeth, Vega flung the Snitch aside and shot back up, stopping only when he leveled out with the Ravenclaw.

"Come to gloat?" Asked Lapis, venom in his voice.

"You should've had that. Why did you let it go." Vega asked.

"You think I missed on purpose? Are you an idiot, Potter? They're going to spend the rest of the day chewing me out! Why the hell would I purposely lose?" Lapis yelled.

"That's what I want to know! You don't miss!"

"Tell you what, Potter." Lapis began, ripping his goggles off so he could glare at Vega. "You lose your parents, you have a secret that might end up getting exposed to the school, and you try playing well!"

Before Vega could respond, Lapis had pushed the end of his broom forward, not bothering to drop down to the Pitch. Vega watched as he flew to the front doors of the school and hopped off there before he let himself fly back down. Though the cheers were still echoing from the stands and most of his team was trying to celebrate, Vega didn't much feel like it. Pushing past them, he made his way through the changing rooms and headed up toward the school. He heard Viola call his name, but he ignored her.

Something wasn't right about any of this, and Vega hated not knowing what it was. Resting his Lightwing over his shoulder, Vega broke into a sprint, getting to the front doors and pushing one open to slip into the castle, which felt wonderfully warm in comparison to the chill outside. Looking around, Vega couldn't see Lapis anywhere. Running over to the Great Hall, he looked inside but found no one there. Hissing out a swear under his breath, Vega turned and stormed off toward the Pit. He was cold, he was tired, he was confused, he was worried, and he wanted to close his eyes and not think about any of it for awhile.

The castle was relatively quiet with most of its residents still outside, and thankfully none of the resident spirits got in his way en route. Quickly setting his broom in one corner of the room, behind a chair, Vega headed for his bedroom, peeling off his Quidditch gear as he went. It was almost time for dinner, and classes were over with for the day. He didn't have to go anywhere and he jolly well wasn't planning to. After changing into his pajamas, Vega left the bedroom, went over and grabbed his father's grimoire, and flipped it back open to the section on boggarts.

Walking back to the couch, Vega curled up at one end, legs drawn up with the book resting open against them. He stared at the first part of the section for what felt like an hour, not taking in any of it. Just as he was blowing out a frustrated sigh, the door to the Pit opened and Viola poked her head in.

"Vega? Hey, you alright? You kinda left in a huff..." She said, stepping in and closing the door behind her.

"I'm fine." Vega lied, not meeting the girl's gaze. "Where's Hyde?"

"Great Hall, probably. Told him I'd come check on you. Didn't know if... y'know."

"What?"

"Didn't want him being here, just in case what was bothering you had something to do with him." Viola said, sitting down near Vega. "Come on, talk to me, Vega..."

"Nothing to talk about. At least not with him. Eskander's who I'm in a mood about." Vega stated.

"Him? What about him?" Asked Viola.

"He wasn't on his game. I know why - he told me his parents are missing. That's why he stayed here over the holidays - but something else was wrong. I dunno if it's Tadyggbo's class or something else, but he was really angry." Vega said.

"His parents are missing? Well, that'd certainly make _me _moody..." Viola said, frowning. "But what do you mean something else was wrong?"

"Wish I knew. Call it a hunch. Something's bugging him and it's not one of the two obvious things. I know he isn't likely to up and _tell _me, so there's no way I can find out. And it's going to drive me up the walls. Been staring at this book ever since I got in and I haven't read anything." Vega said, finally let the frustration creep into his voice.

"That the grimoire your dad gave you?"

"Yeah. Looking at what he has to say about boggarts." Vega said. Sighing, he closed the book, then his eyes. "I hate this."

"Which part? Not being able to help Eskander, or not being able to get out of Tadyggbo's forced boggart protection stuff?"

"Both." Vega said. "Eskander should've beaten me out there. He touched the Snitch before me. But he slipped or something, the Snitch twisted down and my way, and I got it. It was a complete fluke and I know it."

"Hey, a win's a win. Try not to worry about that. Look, I know it's gotta be frustrating for you... I don't think you're gonna be too happy with me after Tadyggbo's class... but you can't let it eat you up like this." Viola said.

Glancing over the top of the book, and his knees, Vega raised an eyebrow. "Why am I not going to be too happy with you?"

"You'll see." Viola said, looking rather put-out. "Let's just say that we've got a nice little triangle of paranoia here..."

"Oh god, don't tell me you're scared of something happening to me, are you?"

"Okay, I won't tell you." Viola said, smirking weakly.

Groaning, Vega moved his legs to the side to get a clear look at Viola. "So is the school gonna know what _I_ look like in a swimsuit, too? That gonna be a thing now? Should I just picture Hyde in swim trunks and complete the trifecta?"

"Not quite. But it isn't what I'm scared of that I'm worried of you being angry at me over. It's how I thought to make it funny..." Viola said, chewing at her lower lip.

"I don't... I don't want to know. Just... yeah, don't tell me, Vivi." Vega said, letting his head thump back against the arm of the couch. "I'm too young to be feeling this old..."

"Well, look on the bright side. I've given you something else to think about. Try not to worry too much, okay? Everything'll work itself out in the end. It did for our parents when they had to deal with monsters in the school, right?"

"...Yeah, I guess." Vega said, sitting back up and swinging his legs over the edge of the couch. "I'm gonna stay down here the rest of the day, I think. I need some peace and quiet. Go on and head back, before Hyde decides to come and complicate things or somethin'..."

"You sure? I could keep you company..."

"Nah, I'll be alright. By morning, I'll try and steel myself for Tadyggbo's class." Vega said, sighing. "I'll work something out."

"...Well, alright. But if you need anything, lemme know, okay?" Viola said, reaching over and ruffling Vega's hair. For once, he didn't try to escape it. His hair was already mussed up from the game and from changing, so he didn't see much point in it.

"Okay." Vega agreed, smiling wanly. "Thanks for coming down, Vivi. I'll hopefully feel better by tomorrow."

"If you don't, I'll tell you the solution to my fear. That oughta get your mind off things." Viola said, getting to her feet and grinning down at Vega.

"Sometimes I am terrified of you, Vivi." Vega said, eyeballing his friend. "...Though if your answer works for your fear, I might try and ape it for mine."

Viola blinked at Vega for a moment before dissolving into giggles.

"What? What did I say?" Asked Vega, brow creased.

Leaning over to give Vega a quick hug (which he protested to), Viola just laughed and replied, "You'll see. You'll see! And you know what? Totally would love seeing my solution applied to my jerk of a brother!"

With that, she made her way out of the Pit, giggling the whole way and leaving one very confused Vega in her wake. Shaking his head, he set the grimoire aside and stared at the fire. "I think," he said to no one in particular, "that I will never be able to figure out how girls work."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: There's so much more to that last line than will be evident for so long. It's a mean little foreshadowing bit that will make no sense until one of the big reveal moments in book 3. Man...

Sorry it took so long! I do kinda have four projects going now. It's actually kinda helping me, as I AM writing more now. I'm just trying to alternate between them. The F-Series is going to get neglected the most, though. Two Potter fics at once is kinda rough, even for me. I did get some chapter planning done on it, though! Anyway, if you wanna know where I am in my stories, either check my profile on the regular or, for a more updated version of things, check my twitter. I post when I'm writing and when I'm planning to upload, edit, and add things here on FFN.

We are well over the halfway point now, finally, and things will begin gaining steam. It's a fairly clear shot between here and the end. I've had to merge a few chapters here and there, so it's not going to be an excessively LONG first book, but that's fine. I don't have as much to establish here, really. And it's really a pretty simple premise. It's kinda hard making boggarts too terribly interesting, you know. It's more about the characters than the monsters for book 1. Book 2, however, I'm really excited about, monster-of-the-year-wise. Got a really fun one planned for it. And poor Vega will be left utterly confused at the end of it. I do love tormenting him so.

See you next chapter, kids!


	14. Voro Exsilium

Vega swallowed hard as he, Hydrus, and Viola walked from the Pit, heading for the Defense classroom. Just over a week into February, the delivery Tadyggbo had been waiting on had finally arrived, so they could begin on the anti-boggart training. Most of the students weren't thinking much about it, though a few, like Vega, seemed rather put out of having to display what they feared most in front of others. To expedite the training and get as many students thinking about it as they could, they were doubling up classes. Slytherin was with Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor was with Hufflepuff. Some part of Vega wondered if McGonagall was doing this on purpose.

"You alright? You look really green." Viola said, falling back in step with Vega and reaching over to rub at his back slowly.

"Fine as I can be, considering." Vega croaked, eyes shifting quickly from the ground to Hydrus, then back again. "This is gonna suck..."

"We all have to do it. It's for our own good." Hydrus said.

"You're not being very helpful, _Hydrus_." Griped Viola, glaring at her twin brother. Turning her attention back to Vega, she continued in a softer voice, "You'll get through it fine. Didn't you say you figured something out?"

"Yeah, but I dunno if it'll work. Not like I was able to practice." Vega said, letting out a yawn. He had spent the better part of the night awake and desperately scanning the grimoire's pages, trying to find something other than the intended spell. Something that he could use to get rid of the boggart before it could turn into Hydrus. Before it could open its mouth. He had eventually found something, but by that point, it was too late to try and figure out a way to practice using it. The only thing he had accomplished in the end was making himself sleepy. On the one hand, the fear of the school finding out was slightly dulled by the tug at his eyelids. On the other, if he tried to cast the spell he had found in such a state, he wasn't entirely sure it would work. It did claim to need a lot of focus and power. At the moment, Vega had neither of these.

"Just use the Riddikulus spell like everyone else. Honestly, Potter, whatever it is can't possibly be that bad, can it?" Asked Hydrus. He glanced back over his shoulder at Vega, who ducked his head suddenly. "...Well, you'll get to see us make fools of ourselves first, if the rumors of Tadyggbo going in alphabetical order are true."

"Wonder if Eskander's gonna be okay..." Vega said, lifting his head and frowning. "He was really messed up during that game. Justified entirely, of course, but it has to be getting in the way of everything else. I knew if my parents were missing, I wouldn't be able to concentrate. Like, what's the point of doing well in school if your parents might be dead, you know?"

"Not sure that's what's bothering him." Viola said, her voice quiet. Blinking, she continued a little louder, "Anyway, just try and rest, alright? You can always tell Tadyggbo you were up late studying on something. Or having nightmares. He's let people rest their eyes before. Just can't outright fall asleep."

"Don't think falling asleep's gonna be a problem. Got a nagging voice in my head keeping me awake." Vega said, suddenly scowling.

"Yeah, I know whatcha mean." Viola said, sighing. "Been double-guessing myself all morning. I know what I'm scared of, and I know how to make it funny, but I have no idea if the boggart will actually turn into it. What if what I'm actually most afraid of isn't what I _think _I'm most afraid of? Guess I'll know soon enough."

"Y-yeah..." Vega said. He closed his mouth and glanced back down at the floor. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to say anything. He had been talking about something completely different. But, he figured, even telling his best friends too much about hearing the voice in his head wasn't wise. He would just have to try and tune it out as best he could. It did seem to love making noise when he was tired, though. It was faint, and had a bit of static to it, but every so often, it would get a full, clear sentence out. It was all rather jarring. He had been having a decidedly hideous cup of strong coffee that morning to try and wake himself up, and in the silence of the Pit, a voice similar to his had suddenly called out to him. He had managed to avoid spilling the coffee all over himself, but only just.

From the clear bits and pieces he had let himself catch, it almost seemed excited about the class that they were walking to. Making a face, Vega rounded a corner with the twins, looking up to see the Defense room coming into view. Who could possibly enjoy exposing their fear to a school that seemed built on rumors and teasing at times? Blowing out a sigh, Vega muttered, "Starting to regret eating anything today. I really don't feel good."

"It's just nerves. They'll settle down once people start turning their fears into something silly." Hydrus said. "Besides, every time you skip a meal, you always end up getting shaky and feeling sick anyway."

"Hyde, I don't want to get sick in front of everyone anymore than I want to show my fear to them." Said Vega, his voice quiet. He knew Hydrus was right, but he also knew the spell he was planning on using was probably going to get him into trouble. He also didn't care. As long as he kept the school from finding out his secret, he would happily take a month's worth of detentions.

'-_ah. C'mon, let me do it_!' Came the jarring voice in his head.

'_Oh good, you again_.' Vega thought. '_What do you mean, let YOU do it_?'

'_I can come forward and take control. Like when Hyde and Vivi got attacked that time, or when we were in the air with Lapis that time_!' Said the voice.

'_I don't need your help_.' Vega explained. '_I have a plan_.'

'_Not gonna work_.'

'_How do you know_?' Asked Vega.

The voice let out a barking laugh. '_I just know, okay? Look, you can do what you want. I'm just sayin', I could do better. So let me do it for ya! It won't hurt or anything. Might pass out from the strain, but that's it. If you're willing to get detention, why not be willing to pass out_?'

'_I'm not having this conversation_.' Vega thought sourly. '_Just... look, just be quiet until class is over with, alright_?'

'_Not makin' any promises. You're gonna need help_.'

'_By the time they get to me, I'll have seen loads of people use the spell_.' Vega argued.

'_You don't need to watch everyone. Just the one that matters_.' Said the voice, the joking tone to its disembodied voice growing serious.

'_Which? Vivi or Hyde_?'

'_Lapis_.'

'_Eskander? Why's he the one that matters_?'

'_Call it a hunch. Alright, I'll go quiet. But if you lock up, I'm stealing control away_.' Said the voice.

Vega could almost hear it grinning at him. He muttered something under his breath, pushing open the door to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom as he and the twins reached it. They followed him in, Viola squeezing his shoulders in support as they found an empty spot to sit. Most of the class had already arrived. Once he was seated, the twins sitting to his left, Vega crossed his arms on the desk and lowered his head. He kept his eyes open and facing the front of the room, where a pair of Prefects were standing next to a chest that had been locked tightly. Numerous chains and absurdly large padlocks surrounded it, as though transporting the most dangerous creature on the planet inside. Which, Vega thought, tilting his head to one side, it just might be. What was worse than something that could turn into what you're most afraid of? Anyone would have trouble dealing with one if they weren't expecting it.

Glancing to his side, he searched the Ravenclaw students until he saw Lapis Eskander and his two friends. Lapis looked about as bad as Vega felt. He had deep bags under his eyes, and his hair was in a state of rather shocking disarray. Usually, the Ravenclaw boy kept himself _looking _good, even if he didn't necessarily _feel _good. Maybe it was just the fact that he was sleepy, but Vega bit back a chuckle. Though he had his eyes set on Hydrus - somehow - he had to admit that Lapis was rather attractive. It was a different sort of attractiveness, though. With Hydrus, what he loved was the cool and calm exterior that he knew hid a very un-Malfoy side. When Hydrus' typical demeanor broke, it was always for a reason, be it anger or indignation. Vega was certain he could count the amount of times he had seen Hydrus being flustered on one hand. He was just like any 'normal' boy when he stopped trying to follow in his father's footsteps.

Lapis, on the other hand, Vega wasn't entirely sure of. Maybe it was merely the Quidditch rivalry getting to him. Or, he thought, maybe it was something far simpler than that. Though he clearly was trying to hide it, Vega knew how hard it had to be, not knowing if your parents were alive. The only reason he hadn't approached the boy was due to the girls who always seemed to be around him. Then again, what would he have been able to do, outside of offering to fly with him? Vega was terrible at giving advice, and he wouldn't know what to say if Lapis were to open up to him and ask what to do. Blowing out a soft sigh, Vega shook his head to try and clear it. Whatever it was, something about Lapis got to him. Of course, it helped that both Lapis and Hydrus were, at least to him, strikingly handsome.

Just then, Lapis blinked, turning his head slightly. For a moment, the two locked eyes and a silent question went back and forth. Lapis' brow creased, Vega's raised, and Lapis simply shook his head, trying and failing to offer a confident smile at the Slytherin. Vega tried giving what felt like one of his own, though from the look on Lapis' face, it went over about as well as the one he had been given.

"Gonna make you go sit with them if you don't start paying attention to us." Whispered Viola from right next to his ear.

Jumping, Vega turned and stared at the girl, clutching tightly at the edge of the desk. "Don't _do _that!" He cried.

Snorting, Viola crossed her arms. "You were spaced out and trying to have a psychic conversation with the enemy Seeker over there. Hadta do something to snap you out of it, now didn't I?"

"The enemy Seeker." Repeated Vega. "You been talking to Danielson again, Vivi? Bad for your health, that."

"Quiet, you two, look." Hydrus said, motioning toward the door at the far end of the classroom. It had opened, and Gareth Tadyggbo stepped out, looking somewhat surly.

"Sorry, everyone, I would have been in a bit sooner, but I've got a shipment of pixies back there that've been giving me troubles. Keep figuring out how to get loose from their cage. If you catch any noises from back there, it's going to be that lot. Shouldn't be able to open the door from my office to in here, but I'll take care of them if they do..." Tadyggbo explained, walking around to the chest. "Right! I hope all of you are ready for this! Now what we're going to do is, everyone's going to stand up and we're going to move the desks and chairs along the walls so we have a bit of room to move. All of the Slytherins will be on one side, the Ravenclaws opposite, and I'll be going down this list..."

Producing a piece of paper from one pocket of his robes, Tadyggbo continued, "I've written your names down, in alphabetical order, alternating between Houses. So we'll get one person from Ravenclaw, then one from Slytherin, and so on. We do have three more Ravenclaws than Slytherins, so they'll all be at the end. Now, about the spell that we'll be using..."

Vega tried listening, but the buzzing in his head was growing, as was the feeling of nausea. The butterflies in his stomach were trying desperately to get out. Licking his lips, he sat up straight and tried to steady himself. He tried thinking the class was going to be fun, and he was certainly a little curious as to what fears people had and how they would manifest. He wasn't particularly proud of this fact, however. But he was in desperate need of a distraction. And seeing someone freak out over a particularly large spider might be just what he needed.

Time slowed to an utter crawl for Vega as, one by one, students went up to face their fears. The Prefects were sitting at the back of the room, watching with amused looks on their faces. Vega wouldn't be able to make a run for it with them there, that was for certain. It would have to be his way or nothing at all. And, even as one of the other Ravenclaw first years turned a mummy into a giant roll of toilet paper, he felt his stomach roll over on him again. Sucking in a low breath, he leaned back against one of the desks.

"You okay?" Whispered Viola. "You're really looking bad..."

"I guess if I get sick, I'll at least have an excuse to leave..." Vega murmured back, arms crossed over his stomach. His breathing felt forced now, as though someone had ahold of his lungs. Looking up, he caught Lapis looking at him with a worried look on his face. Vega shook his head slowly, then offered another feeble smile before turning to watch one of the Slytherins take the test.

"Lapis Eskander, it's your turn!" Tadyggbo called, smiling over at the Ravenclaw, who let out a weary sigh. Hopping down from the desk he had been sitting on, Lapis trudged to the front of the class, his eyes glassing over.

"Wand out? Good, good. Now then, do you know what your fear is?" Asked the Defense professor, smiling at his student.

"Yeah, I know what it is." Lapis answered, staring at the chest. "Not happy about it, but I know what it is."

"Well, no need to worry too much. Everyone's fears will be out before long. Hard to tease anyone when you can just throw their own irrational fear back at them, after all." Tadyggbo said, chuckling. "Now then, let me know when you're ready."

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Muttered Lapis, raising his wand. His eyes focused and narrowed. When Tadyggbo popped the chest open, the boggart shot out of it, a swirling, silver wispy form quickly changing as it caught sight of the Ravenclaw. It shot down to the ground and proceeded to turn into an exact duplicate of Lapis, down to the serious expression on his face. The real Lapis quickly did something that seemed to make him wince, then aimed at his boggart doppleganger and growled, "_Riddikulus_!"

Just as the boggart had opened its mouth to speak, the spell connected with it. It doubled over for a moment, then jerked back upright, its clothes having changed from standard school robes to a deep blue sundress and matching hat. It looked back up at the real Lapis, who let out a cold chuckle, then let out a soundless cry as an invisible force threw it backwards towards the chest. It changed back into a silver wisp as it flew, bouncing off of the opened lid of the chest and falling back down into it. As Lapis turned and walked back over to his friends, Tadyggbo slammed the lid closed on the chest, making sure it was locked before looking over at the Ravenclaw.

"It hadn't finished forming all the way." He noted. "You should have waited a bit longer before casting the spell! It would have been far more powerful if you had."

Wiping at what seemed to be a bleeding lower lip, Lapis simply shrugged, making a face as he ran his tongue over the self-inflicted bite wound. "I repelled it. That's all that matters, right?"

"Well, yes, but that's still not the way I would've liked to see it done. You'll get credit for it for a successful repel, but I'm afraid I can't award full marks." Tadyggbo said.

"Acceptable enough." Lapis muttered.

Samantha and Valerie converged on him as he hopped back up on the desk he had been on, berating Lapis for having to chomp down on his lip in order to focus himself enough to cast. Lapis just swatted them away, looking irritated and murmuring something that Vega couldn't make out. The two girls exchanged an odd look before sighing and returning to where they'd been standing.

"Now what the devil could that have been about?" Hydrus wondered aloud, keeping his voice down as the next student was called up.

"Yeah, that isn't fair. But hey, Vega, that means there's hope for you, right? You can just cast the spell before the boggart-" Viola began.

"Won't work. Need to do something before it forms at all. Eskander had the right idea, he just wasn't quick enough. ...Wonder why he had to bite his lip like that, though. Couldn't have been that bad, could it?" Vega pondered.

"Dunno. Whatever works, I suppose." Viola said. "Lapis kinda looked cute in a dress, though."

"Vivi!" Vega cried.

"What? He did! You'd look cute in a dress, too!" Viola stated. "He's not that much bigger than you!"

"I suddenly have a terrible feeling I know what you'd going to do when your turn comes up!" Vega stated, giving his friend a traitorous look. "Hyde, if she puts boggart-me in a dress, can I cancel Christmas for her?"

"Oh come on!" Viola exclaimed, poking Vega's shoulder.

"Permission granted." Hydrus said.

"Oi!"

"Much obliged, sir." Vega said, smirking.

"You guys are jerks." Viola declared.

Vega smirked, but it belied how he was feeling. Now he was _really _curious as to what Lapis had been fearing. And, for that matter, why his inner voice had thought watching him would be so damned intriguing. Lapis was still working to stop his bleeding lip, but he didn't look quite as tense as he did prior to performing the spell. Again, the Ravenclaw looked up and caught Vega staring. Vega put on a big, stupid grin on his face and mouthed 'ooh la la' at Lapis, who responded with a decidedly rude hand gesture, kept low enough that Tadyggbo wouldn't see. Vega snorted, biting down on his own lower lip to keep anyone from hearing. Lapis rolled his eyes and mouthed a 'good luck' at him before nodding back to the front of the class.

"Mr. Malfoy - you're up!" Tadyggbo called, looking toward Hydrus.

Pushing away from the desks, Hydrus strode to the front of the room. Now it was Viola's turn to act surly. She wasn't looking forward to this one bit. As Hydrus drew his wand, she called out, "If it's still the same thing you mentioned, I'm gonna hex your lips off!"

Shoulders slumping slightly, Hydrus looked over his shoulder, saying, "I really don't have much control over it, you know."

"Then I suggest finding a way to _gain _control!" Viola cried.

"Is there a problem here?" Tadyggbo asked, eyebrow raised as he looked from one twin to the other.

"None, sir. I'm ready." Hydrus said, lifting his wand up.

"Then have at it!" Tadyggbo cried, throwing the lid to the chest open once more. The silvery wisp flew out and began taking shape almost instantly. But instead of manifesting as Viola, it started taking the form of something far larger. In fact, Vega was sure that the low ceiling was the only thing keeping it from growing even bigger than it ended up being. A gigantic grindylow leaned over, gnarled claws clicking on the ground as it leveled its head with Hydrus', fierce glowing eyes narrowing. It opened its mouth, exposing rows of pointed teeth, and let out a low, warning growl.

Hydrus had taken a step backwards as the boggart shape had grown, but was recovering quickly once he had seen what form it _had _taken. It was a little different than what he had been imagining, but it still made sense. The grindylow had been what almost caused Viola to drown, after all. Maybe it was simply the creature coming again that frightened him, rather than it specifically pulling Viola down into the murky depths of some large body of water.

Raising his wand, he aimed between the creature's eyes. "Riddikulus!"

The giant, mutant grindylow suddenly had its slimy, scaly skin turn a rather odd pinkish color, and tiny little bows began popping up all along its body. It seemed confused by this for a moment, looking back to Hydrus, who was now grinning triumphantly at it. And, just as it had been doing for every student thus far, it suddenly got thrown back, reverting to what must have been its default state as it ricocheted back into the chest. Once Tadyggbo had closed the top and approved of Hydrus for waiting, the Slytherin turned and headed back towards Vega and Viola.

"That was... different." Vega said, brow creased.

"I'll take it!" Viola cried, hugging Hydrus as soon as he got within range.

"I didn't change it. It just... came out that way." Hydrus said, trying to pry his sister off of him. "Wasn't quite expecting a mutated creature..."

"Whatever works!" Viola chirped, looking quite pleased. Tadyggbo then proceeded to call her up to the front of the room, and her happy mood plummeted so fast it made Vega laugh. "Aw man..."

"Go on, then." Vega said, grinning. "Let's see what you're gonna do. Maybe I'll escape this unscathed, too!"

"You'd better. Eskander over there stole my gimmick." Viola said, sticking her tongue out at Vega and walking up to the front of the class.

"...Hyde, did you just hear her say that she was going to put me in a dress? Because that's what I heard." Vega said, his own mood dropping like a stone. "So help me, if that's what she's going to do, I'll..."

"Sputter indignantly and yell at her for awhile?" Suggested Hydrus.

"Yeah, some of that!" Vega said, nodding. "...Well, I guess me and Eskander are gonna be laughingstocks this week..."

"This week, if you're lucky. With how the rumor mill operates, you'll be having people trying to transfigure your robes into a dress for a good month." Hydrus said.

"Not _helping_, Hydrus!" Vega said, his teeth clenched now.

The amusement he had been feeling had completely given way to his paranoia and the butterflies in his stomach had started to flutter once more. Vega scowled, glaring at the back of Viola's head. Whatever she was planning, he wasn't sure he wanted to see it anymore. The chest opened, and sure enough, the boggart promptly changed into Vega. But it was different. It looked almost crazed, a wild-eyed look on its face and a too-wide grin splitting its face.

"That's what you looked like in the air those times." Hydrus said, his voice low. "Now I get it. She's afraid of losing you to whatever _that _is..."

'_I do NOT look like that_.' Came a sudden comment from the back of Vega's head.

Vega ignored the voice entirely, and wanted to run more than ever once Viola had cast the spell and turned the boggart-Vega into a dress-wearing boggart-Vega. He heard Lapis let out a bark of laughter, and he turned to glare daggers at Ravenclaw's Seeker. Lapis pulled his lower lip into his mouth, trying not to laugh more, but he wasn't doing a very good job of it. In fact, very few people seemed to be able to keep their laughter withheld.

"Vivi, I'm gonna throw you to the giant squid!" Vega yelled suddenly, turning and sulking as Viola walked over.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She called, rushing over and throwing her arms around him. "I'm really sorry! I just didn't know how else to make that funny! No amount of insane looks could be taken seriously in a dress, though! I did try to make the dress prettier than the one Lapis put _his _boggart in!"

"I don't care about whose boggart's dress was prettier!" Whined Vega, ducking his head and letting out a defeated groan. "Vivi, you _suck_..."

"I'll make it up to you on Christmas!" Viola promised. Then, to try and steer the conversation to somewhere other than Vega in a dress, she continued, "So... c'mon, tell us what you're gonna do when it's your turn!"

"Not tellin' you nothin'." Vega muttered, lower lip jutting out. "All you need to know is I found a countercurse that isn't the one everyone else is using. Not telling Tadyggbo before I use it, either. He probably wouldn't think I could cast it. _I_ don't think I can cast it. But it's worth a shot... not like anything's going to go uphill at _this _point..."

Leaning over so her mouth was right next to Vega's ear, Viola whispered, "You're gonna have to be really quick, though. That thing seems to change in about two seconds flat. You think you can get the spell off that fast?"

"No idea." Vega said, letting out an almost defeated sigh. "We'll know soon enough, though..."

'Soon enough,' as it turned out, came far too soon for Vega's tastes. Tadyggbo finally called his name, and he shoved himself away from the desks, pulling his wand from his back pocket. Time seemed to slow again, and he could feel his heart pounding. So loud, in fact, that it seemed to drown out all other noises. He got to the front of the class and looked at Tadyggbo, who mouthed something at him. Vega licked his lips, then nodded.

'_You're seizing up_!' Screamed the voice in his head, suddenly. '_I'm taking control_!'

'_I'm fine_.' Replied Vega, watching as Tadyggbo's hand slowly popped the lid of the trunk open again. '_I can do this_.'

'_No, you can't_!' The voice cried. '_You should have your wand up already_!'

'_It's moving so slowly, though. I have plenty of time_...' Vega replied.

'_You idiot, you only THINK it's moving slowly! You're going to go at the same speed! **Move your damn arm**_!'

Vega paused, but tried lifting his wand arm, which suddenly felt as though something was weighing it down. A look of fear flashed across his face as his eyes darted from his arm to the chest, where the wispy form of the boggart was starting to rise. '_No... no, no, no, no_...' His eyes squeezed shut, and his stomach once more rolled over on him. '_I can't do this_!'

'_MOVE_!'

Eyes snapping open, Vega's arm shot up and he snarled, "**_VORO EXSILIUM_**!"

The boggart was frozen in mid-shift, looking quite like a mangled human body that was floating in the air under its own power. There was a moment where nothing happened, then the boggart started getting dragged toward Vega's outstretched wand. When it connected, the boggart let out an unearthly cry of pain before it was sucked straight into the wand itself. Teeth clenched, Vega jerked his arm down so it was aimed at the chest. A wild grin splitting his face, his eyes flashed blue as a noise like a cannon firing filled the Defense classroom. The boggart, or what was left of it, came shooting back out of Vega's wand. Sickly grey chunks of meat, along with a yellowish blood were splattered all over the chest. Half of the boggart seemed to be in the chest, half dangling outside of it. Ichor dripped from the mutilated body, pooling on the ground.

Vega's eyes suddenly flashed back to their normal color, and he instantly wobbled, dropping down to the floor and throwing up violently on it. After the food had ended, blood began to come up. The moment his mouth wasn't being used to deposit the contents of his body onto the ground, he let out an anguished wail and fell onto his side, curling up tightly and shaking. Whimpering quietly, Vega stared across the room, a blank look in his eyes.

Tadyggbo was the first to recover, rushing over and kneeling next to Vega. His wand was out as he performed a series of rapidfire spells, and from the expression washing over his face, he didn't like the results he was getting. Getting back to his feet, he stunned Vega and floated him into the air, quickly moving with him to the door. As he went, he barked, "All of you are to remain here until I return! Someone clean up that mess!"

The door slammed behind them as they left, and this seemed to snap the class out of the shocked silence they had been in. Immediately, the room filled with noise as people began to wonder what on earth they had just witnessed. Hydrus glanced aside at his sister, who had become quite pale and was presently hugging herself. He reached over and put his arm around her, pulling her towards him. She turned midway, throwing her arms around Hydrus and sucking in a shaky breath.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know." Hydrus replied, giving Viola's shoulder a weak squeeze as he pulled his wand out. Aiming it at the puddle of sick that Vega had coughed up, he quickly banished the mess away, as no one else seemed up to the task.

"He's going to be okay... right...?"

"He'd better be..." Hydrus murmured. His eyes flickered up toward the pack of Ravenclaws across the room. Lapis Eskander stood frozen to the spot, staring at the decimated form of the boggart with an absolutely terrified look on his face. Turning his attention back to his sister, Hydrus put his wand away and wrapped his other arm around her. "He'd better be..."

The next fifteen minutes passed by at an excruciatingly slow pace. The initial din had given way to an uncomfortable silence. Hydrus had tried a few times to levitate the pieces of the boggart into the chest so he could clear away the gore, but he was feeling too shaken to get any of it done properly. Viola was now sitting on the ground, hugging her knees, and Lapis still had that far-off, frightened expression. Hydrus was trying not to show how scared _he _actually was, but he wasn't sure if he was doing a very good job.

Where had Vega pulled that power from? He was barely scraping by in most of his classes! He shouldn't have been able to draw the boggart in, let alone destroy it so utterly. The question, as it turned out, would be answered by Tadyggbo, who returned looking as though he hadn't slept in weeks. The class immediately began asking questions when the door opened, but Tadyggbo raised his hands to silence them. As he walked to the front of his classroom, cleaning up what was left of the boggart and banishing the ooze-like blood, he explained, "The spell was far beyond Potter's skill level. Instead of the boggart taking the full force of the spell, a portion of it rebounded back into Potter's body. He took a part of the impact himself. Imagine, just for a moment, what that means. Not sure where he got the power to use it, but you all saw the results. This is why we don't just go randomly flinging around spells we don't know how to correctly cast."

"Is... is he okay...?" Asked Viola, her voice very small.

Closing the lid of the chest, Tadyggbo walked around his desk and sat down heavily into his chair. Leaning forward on his legs, he looked at the Malfoy girl for a few moments before speaking. "We had to call in healers from St. Mungo's, Miss Malfoy, if that's any indication. Potter will be fine, but he's not going to be awake any time soon. Almost all of his ribs are completely destroyed, and he's incredibly lucky that the sheer force of the thing didn't reach his spine. His internal organs were punctured by shards of bone, but the healers were able to extract those without any real trouble. Yes, he'll survive, Miss Malfoy. But only just. He's damn lucky, if you could call it that."

Hydrus sat down next to Viola as Tadyggbo spoke. She had reached out and grabbed hold of his robe at one point, and was crying against him by the time the professor finished. Frowning, Hydrus looked back at Tadyggbo and asked, "I assume class is over."

"You assume correctly." Tadyggbo said, blowing out a long sigh. "We'll need to find a new boggart, and I don't think anyone will be able to focus after Potter's insane stunt. Even if the boggart had made it through intact, I would have called class here. If you go to see him, be very quiet. The healers were still around when I left. They assured me he'd be fine and told me to come back here, so that's what I did."

Hydrus helped Viola back up and, slowly, the students began to filter out of the Defense classroom. Tadyggbo motioned for the Prefects to go, as well. Nothing to guard, after all. Once the last of them had left, Tadyggbo leaned back in his chair, glancing down at one of his hands, which was shaking rather badly. Closing his eyes, he pulled in a slow breath. As he let it out, he opened a drawer on his desk, pulling out a small glass and a half-empty bottle of firewhiskey. Unscrewing the cap, he looked down at the liquid and muttered, "I hope Minerva knows what she's doing..."

With an annoyed sigh, he put the glass back in the drawer, taking a long swig directly from the bottle. As the bottle left his lips, a noise that sounded like a stack of books falling over came from his office. Setting the bottle down, he turned and cast a withering look at the closed door. Getting up with a long-suffering sigh, he trudged toward it and grumbled, "Because this is what I want to deal with right now. Damned pixies..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Heyyy, a chapter that didn't take four months to get out the door. Good for me, I'm getting better!

I really wanted to do this. The Exsilium and its effect on Vega were one of the moments I'd wanted to do since I started the book. Every book has a few 'big' moments in them, and I sorta use those as markers for how far into a story I am. As of this chapter, we're now downhill into the final act of the book. Between now and when Vega wakes up, events will force him to take action once he's feeling better.

I've had to merge a few chapters so far. The Defense lesson was originally to be two chapters, but it seemed better to do them as one and end on the Exsilium and its aftermath. For the record, I always thought a boggart's 'body' looked sort of like a powder-white humanoid, albeit with any features on the head. The wispy form is what it takes on when it's about to attack. Totally nothing in the canon to suggest any of this, but it's hard to describe the decimation of a wisp of energy. Besides, imagine a den of boggarts in their default state. Just this dank hole in the ground, filled with pale, almost-human figures. Give-a me the jibblies.

_Also, and this is something I only noticed as I edited this chapter, our DADA professor's name's spelling went off course at some point. It should be Tadygbbo, not Tadyggbo. I'm not sure how far back this problem goes, but I guess it doesn't matter at this point, considering. I'll explain why the spelling being correct is worth noting at the end of next chapter, though. Until then, kids! As of this writing, I have one-third of 15 done, so hopefully that'll be out before 2010 ends. Derp._


	15. Defenseless

Lapis pushed his way through the small crowd of students, breaking free of them and heading toward the staircase. He could hear his friends calling out his name, but he didn't stop to let them catch up. He needed to get outside. The air inside the castle felt stuffy, and he could still smell the stench that the boggart had left behind. Tugging at the collar of his shirt, Lapis reached the stairs and began descending as fast as he could. The sound of his friends' voices faded as he went, either because he had gotten away from them or because they had decided to give him his space.

A quick glance upward told him nothing, though he did see the Malfoy twins rushing past an upstairs railing, no doubt on a beeline for the hospital. Lapis' stomach gave a sharp lurch, and he brought his head back down, focusing on getting out of the school. Shoving the large double doors in the Entrance Hall open, he stepped out and into the freezing cold air that had enveloped the grounds. As he walked out onto the bridge, he drew in a slow breath through his mouth.

What in the hell had that been? What had Potter been playing at with that kind of spell? Was he that willing to hide his deepest fear so badly that he would risk killing himself so nobody would find out? Shaking hands found cold stone, and Lapis leaned against the structure for support. Even he hadn't gone that far, and he had more than a few things occupying his mind that he wouldn't want others to find out about! But for Potter to have gone beyond that, beyond merely striking before the boggart had formed at all...

Closing his eyes, Lapis hung his head and shuddered. Something had happened in there, and he wasn't positive if he had been the only one to notice or not. Potter's eyes had gone azure and then back again. No one else had said anything during the time Tadygbbo had been gone, taking him to Madam Pomfrey and her assistant, so he wasn't sure anyone else had caught it. Tadygbbo probably had, being directly in front of him and all. But the shock of what he had done might have been enough to distract them.

It hadn't been the first time he had noticed such a thing, either. And there had been rumors now and again, about Potter being a little 'off' somehow. After all, how could the son of the famous Harry Potter be so rubbish at magic? Was he just hiding his true potential so he wouldn't seem like he was showing off? No, Lapis thought, that couldn't be it. He liked to think he knew Potter more than most of the student body, given he had been the one up in the air with him multiple times that year. The way Potter talked had convinced him long ago. He wasn't putting on an act for anyone. So where the devil were these supposed power surges coming from? He clearly couldn't control whatever he had used on the boggart, else he wouldn't have put himself in the hospital again.

Lapis tried moving forward, wanting to go and sit down by the lake, despite how cold it was, but his feet wouldn't carry him. With a quiet sigh, he turned and slumped to the ground where he was, leaning back against the side of the bridge and staring blankly at the other side. St. Mungo's healers had been called in. That alone told Lapis all he needed to know of the power that had backfired on Potter's body. Madam Pomfrey could fix just about anything seven years of still-learning students could do to themselves, and she and her assistant still needed outside help to keep Potter afloat? Lapis' chest tightened at the thought. He only had one decent Seeker to fly against. It HAD to be Potter. No one else would suffice. No one else could give him what he needed in the air. Potter wouldn't leave him be, and as annoying as it was at times, he needed the distraction. Especially since his parents had vanished.

Swallowing hard, Lapis fought with himself over a decision for what felt like hours. Finally, he got up to his feet again and headed back into the castle. Classes were out properly now, and the school was noisy with people moving and talking. Already, rumors of what Potter had done were circulating wildly. Hands clenching into fists as he walked, Lapis tried to ignore the idiots around him as he started climbing back up the staircase. He needed to get to the Hospital Wing and he needed to get there now. He didn't care if Potter would 'be fine' eventually. He also didn't care whether the Malfoy twins wanted him there or not. Potter would keep an eye on him - it was simply how he behaved. Therefore, he was going to keep an eye on _Potter_.

The fire that had been lit in him flickered as he approached the doors into the Hospital Wing itself, however. He faltered as he reached for them, wondering if this was such a good idea after all. With a scowl, he decided he was being stupid and pushed one of the doors open slowly, peeking into the room. There was only one bed with the curtains drawn around it, and quiet conversation was taking place behind them.

Silently stepping in and shutting the door behind him, Lapis slid his hands into his pockets as he walked over.

"...fine, right? I mean, St. Mungo's and all, yeah? I just..." Said the Malfoy girl, sounding scared, still.

"Viola, breathe. He'll be fine. Whatever he ends up doing, he always seems to be fine. I don't know if he's just got some kind of insane luck on his side or what." Came her brother's voice, sounding a fair bit less confident than was normal for the boy.

"You call Vega nearly killing himself 'lucky'?"

"I didn't say that."

"Well what _did _you say?"

A sigh. "Viola, I know you're upset, but..."

"Both of you, calm down. Arguing isn't going to help anyone right now." Said Gabrielle Delacour. "I know you're both frightened still, and rightly so, but going off at one another won't get you anywhere. Alright?"

Lapis stepped around to where he could see the bed that Vega was laying in. From his position, nothing seemed wrong at all. It merely looked like the Slytherin boy was sleeping peacefully. The Malfoy twins were on one side of the bed, their backs to where Lapis was standing. The assistant mediwitch was on the other, and she glanced up at him when she noticed he was standing there, though she didn't say anything.

"Sorry..." Viola said, squirming in her seat. "I'm just... he keeps getting hurt and it's really hard to watch and..."

"And you don't like seeing him here so often. You don't like seeing someone you care about getting hurt. I understand that, Miss Malfoy, believe me. Take some deep breaths, alright? They'll help. You wouldn't want him to see you in such a state if he were to wake up right now, would you?"

"Wouldn't care how he saw me so long as he woke up..." Viola said.

Hydrus reached out and started rubbing at his sister's back as she leaned over forward, wiping at her eyes. Looking up, he asked, "How bad was it? Professor Tadygbbo said a bit, but he seemed really tired."

"And he wasn't even the one who was doing anything. Thankfully, Gareth knew what Mr. Potter had done to himself, so we were able to get to work on him immediately. Poppy's laying down at the moment, though. I've never seen her move so fast in all the time I've been here! She sent me to call St. Mungo's, and when I returned with the healers they sent, she had a small laundry list of details for them. The woman's absolutely amazing, but she isn't all-powerful. With the four of us working on him, it still took ten minutes of really fast moving to stabilize him. He isn't going to be exercising for awhile. I dare say he won't be playing Quidditch for the rest of the year, and he'll probably hurt when he laughs or stretches for a few months..." Gabrielle explained, sighing as she looked at Vega. "Your brother was right - he may wind up here a lot, but the fact that he keeps recovering is incredible, considering."

Lapis glanced off for a moment, licking his lips and hesitating before asking, "No more flying, huh? That answers one of my questions, then. Won't be any fun without him up there..."

The twins jumped, turning and staring at Lapis, who shrugged weakly at them.

"What? I was worried too, you know..." He said, shifting from one foot to the other.

"How long have you been there?" Asked Hydrus.

"Long enough." Lapis said, looking at Vega and sighing. "He really was the only other Seeker who could put up a good fight. I'm going to just assume he was stubborn and refused to tell either of you what he was going to do?"

"Of course he didn't!" Viola cried, getting to her feet and storming over. "Do you think we would've let him do something so... so _stupid _if we had known? He almost killed himself! Why would we ever let him do something like that?"

Lapis blinked, bringing his hands up defensively. "I-it was just a question, you don't have to-"

Viola reached out and grabbed at the front of Lapis' robes. She stepped forward and was about to hiss that if Lapis didn't want to make her angry, he shouldn't ask questions that would obviously do just that, but something stopped her. Locking eyes with the Ravenclaw Seeker for a moment, she sighed and pushed him away weakly, turning and heading back for her seat.

"Sorry." Hydrus said, rubbing at Viola's back again. "She's a bit on edge at the moment."

Straightening his robes out and clearing his throat, Lapis shook his head. "No, I understand fully. I apologize for the question. I didn't mean anything by it." He then looked at Gabrielle and asked, "How long is it going to take for him to heal?"

"Dunno. Could be a week, could be a month. We're going to be watching him around the clock. If anything changes, we'll send word to you lot, though. I know it'll be hard, but you three need to try and go about your daily routines as you normally would. You can come up and visit between classes, alright?" Gabrielle said.

Lapis nodded. "Well, I'll be on my way, then. I just wanted to see what shape he had put himself in. The rest of the team will be happy, I suppose..."

With that, he turned and headed back for the doors. As he walked, he fiddled with the front of his robes some more, getting them back in order. He had never seen the Malfoy girl act like that, and though he wasn't sure what stopped her from decking him, he had an idea. And he didn't much like what that meant. He would have to pull the girl aside some time and have a little talk with her. When he reached the doors, he cast one final look over his shoulder before stepping through them again. The rest of the team would indeed be happy that Potter had all but ensured that he would be unable to play for the remainder of the year.

But to Lapis, all that meant was that the matches Ravenclaw had left would be absolutely no fun at all.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"This is all your fault, you know." Vega said, floating upside-down and glaring at the only other person around him.

"If you hadn't been trying to regain control, we would've been fine. But no, you just had to try and do it yourself, didn't you? Big, bad Potter has to prove himself to the idiots of the school, doesn't he? You make me sick sometimes." Said a near-exact duplicate of Vega, who was floating right-side up a few feet away.

The two were moving around an inky-black space devoid of any kind of light, though each knew where the other was at any given time. It had felt like an eternity had passed since Vega had entered this place, and arguing constantly with his doppelganger wasn't helping. The entirety of their fight had been about the double wresting control at the last moment to perform the Exsilium. Vega had been confident, albeit nervous, that he would have been able to pull the spell off. His mirror image had been quite adamantly shooting Vega's confidence down any time he tried bringing it back into play.

"I'm not trying to prove myself! I'm trying to keep the entire school from finding out that-"

"That you _think _you're gay? What, do you think the only one at Hogwarts with that particular worry, you idiot?"

"'Think'? I'd say daydreaming about hugging Hyde is grounds for my problem being a little more than that!"

"Oh no, you want to _hug _him. Someone stop the presses. Alert the Daily Prophet! The Boy Who Lived's son wants to hug another guy."

"I hate you."

"You _are _me."

"No. I am definitely not you."

"Oh yeah? And why would you say _that_?"

Green eyes narrowed as they stared into the blue eyes opposite. "Because you... _like _fighting, that's why! You're rude, and you're dangerous and..."

"And I'm everything you wish you could be." Said Vega's clone. "You wish you had more power. You wish you could be strong enough to not have to worry if someone found out that you like boys. You want to be able to keep your friends safe and you want to stop the monster that's plaguing the school! You want to be able to stand up to anyone who gets between you and your goals! Do you wanna argue any of these points, because you're gonna be stuck here a fair bit longer thanks to your stubbornness almost getting us killed!"

Vega scoffed, spinning himself so he wasn't facing his twin anymore. "Just leave me alone."

"Oh, did I finally strike a nerve? I'm terribly sorry. Should I sugar-coat it for you like everyone else would? Sorry, can't do that. The fact that you refuse to accept that part of yourself is why I exist in the first place! You're rejecting me. And because of that, you're rejecting your own power."

"Shut up! Why should I believe anything you say, anyway? You keep taking control of my body!" Cried Vega, glaring over his shoulder as he tried to flip himself upright.

"Because _you _can't do anything with your bloody inferiority complex!" Shouted his double, glaring back at him. "You wanted to fly well? I helped you fly well. You wanted to keep Vivi and Hyde safe? Yeah, guess who did that. You wanted to keep the school from finding out about your fear, and here we are! Though that last one would've been decidedly more successful, again, if you hadn't botched the whole thing!"

"I didn't 'botch' anything! I kept you from killing us both by ending the Exsilium early!" Vega yelled, floating his way over to his duplicate and grabbing him by the front of his robes. "I had it! It was being pulled in! I-"

"You were scared out of your mind! What do you mean you _had _it? You froze, and my intervention was the only thing keeping that boggart from turning into Hyde! I didn't think you'd be able to fight me over control like that! I didn't think you were _stupid _enough to try that mid-spell!"

"Oh, pardon me for not wanting some strange, evil _force _from taking control of my body any time it wants! I guess _I'm_ the bad guy here!" Vega snarled. "Who do you think you are?"

"That's a good question. A better one is - who do _you _think I am?"

"What?"

The blue-eyed version of Vega snorted at this response, rolling his eyes as he replied, "If you don't believe my explanation for what I am, then what's yours? Maybe you're just insane. If you hear and speak with voices in your head, that makes you insane, doesn't it? Or maybe you're just holding your own power back voluntarily, oh wait, that isn't it at all. So who am I? _What _am I?"

"...I don't know." Vega said, sighing as he weakly shoved his twin away. "I don't even know what to _call _you."

"And now you want to _name _the voice in your head. Maybe you _are _insane!" Exclaimed the double, clapping his hands. After receiving a withering look from Vega, he shrugged. "I dunno. Call me whatever you want. Hell, it'll make things easier for all involved, won't it? Aside from our eye colors and personalities switching, people still need something to refer to me by, right? For those times when I 'take control' of your body."

"Yeah, you keep saying that like it's going to be a regular thing. Not while I have anything to say about it." Vega muttered.

"But that's just it - you don't. What are you gonna do to the boggarts without me, huh? What if there's more than one? Did you ever think about that? What if you hunt these things down somehow and end up finding a nest of the things? Then what? Hyde and Vivi won't let you go it alone. So he'd be there to see them change. If you wouldn't let me forward to use the Exsilium against one, what's gonna happen when there's six? Or a dozen? Or more than that? You trying to stop me made me lose focus and now here we are, trying to regrow our disintegrated ribs!"

"I'll deal with that when I come to it." Vega said.

"And therein lies the problem of it all. You never want to deal with anything. I'm here because you didn't want to deal with the fact that you might not be the perfect child your parents and the world want you to be. Your refusal to just tell Hyde how you feel is what ended up making you research and use the Exsilium."

"_You _used it, not me!"

"What else was I going to do? I had to stop it from shapeshifting, didn't I?"

"And while I'm yelling, why the hell did you want me to watch Eskander, anyway?"

"Aside from the fact that you fancy someone other than Hyde?"

Vega sputtered. "I do not _fancy _Lapis Eskander!"

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

"I hate you."

"You're doing that whole 'being dishonest with yourself' thing again. Just so you're aware of what I'm doing here."

"...I really, really hate you."

"Well aware of that. Hey listen, how about I just steal your middle name for the time being? You don't like it much, I think it's rather nice. So it would fit how you view me and everything. When you're in control, it's Vega. When I'm in control, it's Cygnus."

"I suppose." Vega said. "If it'll shut you up. Can we just float here in silence if I agree to this? Because I've got a headache."

The newly-named Cygnus smirked at Vega. "Would you prefer to sit?"

"I don't _like _floating in an empty void, if that's what you're asking."

Cygnus floated down about a foot or so, then snapped his fingers. Instantly, the blackness was replaced by a green field and blue sky. Vega only had a moment to take this in before he dropped from the air like a rock, landing hard on his backside and almost immediately flipping over to his stomach. He bit back a rather fierce string of swears as Cygnus casually strolled over to him. Squatting down next to Vega, Cygnus murmured, "Now that I've got a proper name and we aren't floating in nothing anymore, we need to have a good, long, proper talk about a few more things. You won't be waking up for at least a few more days. This is my space, so you play by my rules when you're here. We're gonna set some ground rules. No more accidents, understand? No more fighting for control. If you refuse to accept me, then you're bloody well going to at least _tolerate _me. Now get up. Let's walk. The sun doesn't go down until I want it to. We're going to finish our talk before night falls."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

When his eyes opened, the first thing he noticed was how dry his throat felt. If someone had come along and scrubbed it with sandpaper, it wouldn't feel as rough and scratchy as it currently did. The second thing he noticed was how hungry he was. He was quite certain that he could devour a small army's worth of food on his own. The third, and final, thing that Vega noted was that he was being watched. Shifting his head to the right, he found himself staring into the eyes of the one person he didn't want to see after knocking himself into a short coma.

"'Lo, Hyde." He said, coughing a little and wincing.

"Potter." Acknowledged Hydrus, nodding his head slightly. "Don't try to move."

"Don't plan on it." Vega said, swallowing hard and blowing a sigh out through his nose. "Wh'time izzit?"

"Almost midnight. It's been about a week, before you ask. You've... missed a lot." Hydrus said, looking somewhat frustrated.

"Missed a lot?" Vega echoed, brow creasing. Whatever potions were circling through him were making him awfully groggy, though he was trying to fight that. He had slept long enough, after all. As he waited for Hydrus to answer, he brought a hand up to his chest, giving it a tentative poke.

"Your ribs should be back to normal. The rest of you that was destroyed in that stupid little stunt should be, as well. And yes, you've missed a lot. Tadygbbo is dead." Hydrus stated.

Vega froze, his gaze moving from his chest back to Hydrus. "What."

"The same day you used that spell in class, Tadygbbo was found dead in his quarters. No one but the staff knows exactly what happened, but the rumors going around claim his throat had been clawed out."

"Was it the boggart?" Vega asked. "How the hell does a Defense professor get killed by a boggart?"

"He took that secret to his grave." Hydrus said, letting out a sigh of his own.

"Great... now it's killed someone, all bets are off." Vega said, forcing himself to sit up, sucking in a sharp breath as he moved. Panting slightly, he continued, "What happened after they found him?"

"Well... about as much as you'd think. Aurors were called in to make another extensive sweep of the castle and the surrounding areas, but no one found anything, same as last time. McGonagall looks like she hasn't slept well, and she isn't alone. This has everyone terrified that they'll be next. Someone asked McGonagall if the school would be closed, and she said that she was genuinely considering it. The only reason she hasn't done it yet is because of the replacement Defense professor she got ahold of asking her to wait a while longer..." Hydrus explained, crossing his arms and staring across the room as he spoke.

"Replacement? Who is it?"

"Albus Dumbledore." Hydrus said. "Once he arrived, the atmosphere just seemed to change. Somehow, he's been able to help lift everyone's spirits, as though the boggart won't strike again as long as he's around. Load of rubbish, that. We've been sleeping down in the Pit, since it's felt more secure than the dungeons. Since we're lowest in the castle, everyone's been on-edge since Tadygbbo was killed. I don't know what's going to happen, but I pray it happens soon..."

"Dumbledore..." Repeated Vega, frowning for a moment before rubbing at his chest. Licking his lips, he started talking slowly, knowing how insane what he was about to suggest would sound. "We need to stop it before it attacks anyone else, Hyde."

This time, it was Hydrus' turn to let out a flat 'what.' Looking at Vega as though he had grown a second head, he asked, "Are you feeling alright, Potter? That thing was strong enough to kill a full grown wizard!"

"If our chest wasn't hurting so much, I'd probably go hunting it tonight." Vega muttered, scowling as he shifted around. His new ribs still felt weird to him.

Hydrus narrowed his eyes slightly. "'Our'?"

"Hm? Oh, right. The other me." Vega said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know what I mean. Blue eyes, you know?"

Hydrus cocked his head to the side, looking slightly confused. "Potter, do you want me to go get Madam Pomfrey?"

"I'm _fine_, Hyde!" Vega exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Point is, I want to go hunt the boggart down, I've got an idea, and the only thing missing is where the bloody thing's located. I've got this."

"Just like you had the one in class?" Hydrus asked. "I daresay you haven't 'got' anything, Potter. What are you planning to do, use that spell and nearly kill yourself again?"

"That was a fluke and I know how it happened, even if I don't like admitting it." Vega said, staring down at his blanket with a mildly annoyed look on his face. "I'll do things right next time. We can't let it go on, Hyde. It's going to keep attacking. What if it gets someone we know next? It came after me already, and I was lucky to escape relatively unharmed. What if it came for Vivi?"

Hydrus started to speak, but stopped, looking away. Vega followed his gaze, and noticed for the first time that Viola was asleep in the next bed over. Her head was just visible around the edge of the curtain. He looked back to Hydrus, who looked like he was trying to weigh the options in his head. Vega knew it was a cheap shot, but he needed backup. Cygnus or no, he wanted someone to watch his back. He and Cygnus had reached something of agreement on how they were going to coexist, and while Vega wasn't exactly thrilled with it, it was better than the randomness that had come prior.

"...We'll talk about it later." Hydrus finally said, shaking his head. "In the morning, after everyone has some food in them. I'm not going to agree with your plan yet, Potter, but I do agree that something needs to be done. Our parents had to do everything around here when they were our age. Unfortunately, it's looking more and more like we're going to have to follow in their footsteps."

"Maybe that's what Dumbledore's been playing at." Vega suggested, smirking a little. "He's waiting for us."

"Don't be stupid, of course he isn't." Hydrus said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Nn... Hydrus, what're you doing, talking to yourself again?" Came Viola's groggy voice from the next bed.

"'Again'? I don't recall ever talking to myself a first time." Said Hydrus, pulling the curtain back now that Viola was up. "And don't throw yourself at him, he's still recovering."

Rubbing at her eyes, Viola asked, "Throw myself at who?" When she looked up and saw Vega sitting there with a silly grin on his face, she practically leapt out of bed. "Vega!" She rushed over, but stopped just short, composing herself enough to sit on the edge of Vega's bed, leaning over and giving him a gingerly hug. "Are you okay? How long have you been up? What were you two talking about?"

Vega gave Viola a quick recap of his conversation with Hydrus. She was biting at her lower lip by the time he had finished, staring down at the ground and looking conflicted.

"What do you think?" Asked Vega.

"I think you're right that something needs to be done... but I also think Hydrus is right in that you don't need to go doing anything stupid again. Idiot... you scared us all half to death!" Viola cried, glaring at Vega.

Vega glanced off, sighing quietly. "Sorry. It won't happen again. I had a long talk with myself while I was out."

Viola shot her brother a confused look, which he replied to by shrugging. Looking back to Vega, she asked, "So what now?"

"Well, first we wait until I get released. Then I devour everything the house elves can throw at me. Then we go hunting the boggart." Vega said.

"You forgot something." Viola said.

"What?"

"You need to go see Lapis." Viola said. "He's... he's looked really messed up since the accident, Vega. He's come by a few times this week to check on you. I'm sure he'll be glad to know you're alright."

"Really?" Vega frowned at this. "Alright, I'll pull him aside and talk with him first chance I get. If I can talk Madam Pomfrey into letting me go once morning rolls around, I'll try and get down to the Great Hall before breakfast is over with."

"That isn't all. He must've gotten into a fight with the girls, because they're not sitting near each other right now." Viola said. "Dunno what that's been about. Hydrus has kept me from finding anything out."

"I've kept you from sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." Corrected Hydrus.

"A lot _has _happened, hasn't it?" Vega said, sighing. Shaking his head, he slowly let himself slide back down, wincing again as his torso protested the movement. "Think I'm gonna try getting a bit more sleep. Even though I've been out a week, I feel like I've been arguing with someone the entire time. Can't imagine why..."

Hydrus stood up, prompting Viola to do so as well. Before she did, she leaned over and kissed Vega's forehead, causing him to let out an embarrassed whine. "We'll stop in once morning comes, then."

"You two gonna be alright?" Asked Vega.

"Gabrielle's still awake." Viola said, motioning towards the office, where a faint light could be made out. "We'll be fine."

"Alright..." Nodded Vega, letting his eyes slip shut. "Have a feeling it's gonna be a long day. Good night, guys..."

"Sweet dreams, Vega." Viola said.

Vega slowed his breathing down, but had no plans to actually get any more sleep that night. He listened as the twins got escorted out by Gabrielle Delacour, then immediately asked, '_So back to what we were talking about_...'

Inside his head, Cygnus replied, '_Yeah, the possibility of there being more than one boggart. I'm hoping I'm wrong, but it's entirely possible that there's a nest of the things. After what Hyde said, __now I'm really worried about being right. Tadygbbo wasn't an idiot. He could've held his own. What if he got overwhelmed_?'

'_I really don't want to think about a nest of boggarts. Do boggarts make nests? Is that how they work_?'

'_Focus. Point I'm trying to make is, I'm not entirely sure we could stop a whole swarm of the damned things. At least_...'

'_At least not without a few turning into Hyde first_...' Finished Vega. '_Great_...'

'_We'll stop them. But we need to go over the worse case scenarios first. If it really is only one, __great! Easier job for us. And if that's the case, maybe Tadygbbo just got caught off guard_.'

'_Like if one of his students did something stupid and left him in a nervous state_?'

Cygnus made a noise akin to a scowl. '_Don't go blaming us for that_!'

'_Well why not? It could be true_!'

'_Could_!' Cygnus said. '_And even if it is, the best thing we can do is to take out what killed him, right_?'

'..._Yeah, I guess_.' Vega said. '_Alright. So let's talk. What do you want to do_?'

'_We'll run down every scenario we can think of and hopefully one will actually happen_.'

'_Leaving a lot to chance, huh_?'

'_Nothing we can do about that, I'm afraid_.'

'_It's going to be a long night, isn't it_?'

'_Yup_.'

'_Dammit_.'

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Tadygbbo's name is spelled right here again. I'll try and go back through and fix it. I'm not sure where the hell I started using Tadyggbo, but it's very annoying. **Gareth Tadygbbo** is an anagram for '**Death by Boggart**.' Losing that second B kinda throws the cheap gag off, doesn't it? So now you know THAT dorky-ass name. I thought of the anagram and the name Gareth and a friend suggested Tadygbbo. I said it was too many consonants, and he told me to make him Welsh due to Welsh names apparently having too many consonants. He's English, so I went ahead with it. Besides, it was fun to say. Alas, Tadygbbo or Tadyggbo or whatever the hell spelling I used more often has perished. He is an ex-professor.

That was a lot of build-up to a really stupid thing. So! Now things are finally in the end game. Vega's inner voice has a name (his middle) and is working together with him. And they immediately want to go after the boggart. Dumbledore's around and seems to be thinking along the same lines. All the years in retirement haven't dulled his senses too much. But! He will not hang around past the end of the school year! There will be two more Defense professors over the course of the R-2 Series here. All I'll say about that is that one is an old friend of sorts, and the other might be an old enemy, depending on how you look at it!

Happy New Year, incidentally! My new year's resolution is to finish Fear Within AND book 2, Poison From the Stars, by year's end. AND do so without neglecting my other projects! ...Except Legend Reborn, because R-2 needs to keep ahead of that by a bit, or else the order of the reveals gets completely botched.

I hate time travel.

Anyway, that's where things are, and that's what I'm gonna be shooting for. I'm gonna try getting back on the two chapters a month minimum I was on for awhile during R-1. We'll see how it plays out. Until next time, kids!


	16. Accepting Fate

Lapis Eskander wasn't having a good week.

As he sat by himself at the edge of the lake, staring out over its icy surface, he couldn't help but replay events in his mind. Potter had nearly killed himself, Tadygbbo had been taken out by the boggart, he had barely eaten or slept, and Valerie and Samantha were both mad at him. Claimed he was 'spending too much time' worrying about Potter's well-being and that he'd get better, just like he had the previous times he had been injured. Lapis hadn't liked the tone they had used when talking about him, as though he were some kind of thing. What had changed? They had been supporting him before, so why now?

'_Because_,' he thought to himself, drawing his knees up to his chest, '_they're probably scared that hanging around him will get _me _hurt at some point_...'

Closing his eyes and blowing out a slow sigh, he wrapped his arms around his legs. It was freezing cold out, but it was still the only place he could try to get his head screwed on straight. He had tried talking to them, but they seemed set in their ways. So there he was, needing to get things off his chest, with no one to talk to. He didn't care about Quidditch if Potter was laid-up. There was simply no challenge to be had. Either he'd get a worthy opponent or he wouldn't bother at all. It was a pointless endeavor to play when he was guaranteed victory.

He had gone up to the Hospital Wing a few times over the course of the week. Each time, he would be filled in on Potter's rapidly-healing condition. And though it helped to know that he would eventually wake up, it did nothing to improve his mood. A part of him was desperately trying not to pull the Slytherin boy aside once he was better and explain everything to him. Another was warning that this would drive him away, too. Whatever Potter had feared was terrifying enough to him to invoke a spell that nearly took his life. He wasn't playing around at hiding whatever it was.

He hated this. He hated having no one who knew what he was going through, save for two girls who refused to speak to him. He hated lying constantly. He hated the way the teachers danced around the issue, as they were well-aware of what was going on. He hated that he had such a stupid crush, and he hated that he would be unable to act upon it. Another sigh escaped his lips as his eyes opened, wincing as the brightness of the snow and ice hit him again. Of everyone he could have chosen, why did it have to be Harry Potter's son?

It was all so very irritating, and he had no other option than to simply struggle onward until he couldn't anymore. He was just scared that 'anymore' would come sooner than later. He wouldn't be able to keep his lies up forever. And the moment someone realized this, things would change. He didn't want them to change. Despite hating having to lie, he liked who he was. He was _proud _of who he was. He had worked hard to get to where he was. And now it was all threatening to come unglued thanks to one boy fighting against what seemed like an inescapable fate. Potter had been willing to risk it all; been willing to suffer the indignant stares and hushed voices that would no doubt surround him once he got out of the hospital. He never looked happy by them, but he wasn't letting them throw him into a depression, either.

So lost in thought was he, that he didn't hear footsteps approach. Nor did he notice when someone sat down next to him, assuming a similar position. It wasn't until the new arrival spoke that his attention was snapped away from his thoughts.

"Feels good out here, doesn't it? My throat's enjoying it, anyway. Really sore for some reason..."

Lapis turned and blinked owlishly at Vega, who was smiling faintly as he stared out over the frozen lake. "Potter... when did you get out?"

"About an hour ago, I think. Went to get something to eat before coming to find you. That part didn't take too long. You seem to like being outside." Vega said, tilting his head to look Lapis' way.

"...The air is fresh out here. Should you be out here so soon, though?" Asked Lapis, his voice quiet.

"Gabrielle said it was fine. Like I said, my throat appreciates it. So what's up? Vivi told me you'd stopped in to see me..." Vega said.

Lapis bit at his lower lip, unsure of what to say in response. Of course he had stopped in. They were friends... weren't they? To be honest, Lapis wasn't sure what they were. They were rivals at the very least, and that was enjoyable, certainly. He knew what he'd _like _to be seen as, but that was nothing more than a pipe dream. Frowning slightly, he finally said, "Yeah. Was worried, that's all..."

"Appreciate it. Sometimes I feel like the twins are the only ones who care about me." Vega said, smirking slightly. "But what's goin' on, Eskander? You have a fight with the girls?"

"Something like that." Lapis said, scowling. "We couldn't see eye to eye over something, and they're both being... _girls _about it."

"Well, I know how that is." Vega said. "Vivi can get that way sometimes, too. You okay?"

"I've been better." Lapis admitted, turning his attention back to the lake. "Lot's been going on lately. Not much of it good. I guess it's all just getting to me. I've stepped down as Seeker for the time being, you know."

"What? Why?" Vega asked, looking slightly alarmed. "Come on, Eskander, you were the only decent Seeker left, since I'm probably not going to fly anytime soon! Was hoping to at least be able to enjoy seeing Ravenclaw play. Man, it's gonna be boring now..."

Snorting, Lapis let himself smile a little. "It would've been boring even if I was in the air, Potter. There's nothing interesting about me flying rings around the other Seekers. You're the only one I wanted to fly against, because you were the only one who could fly worth a damn."

"Well... I can't say I don't know how you feel. They are kinda middling, aren't they?" Vega said, glancing off towards the Pitch. "...Well, I guess this gives me more time to study. ...Oh goody."

"Yeah, I'd say so. Especially if you plan to use any more high level spells." Lapis said, sounding rather irritated. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Vega slumped slightly, knowing this was coming. "I wasn't, okay? I thought I could handle it and I couldn't. It's... complicated. But I didn't want anyone to see. That's all it comes down to."

"Was it really that bad?"

"It was. To me, anyway."

"...What was it?"

"I'm not telling." Vega said.

"Why? I wouldn't tell anyone. And if you can't tell the Malfoys, I'm going to hazard a guess that it has something to do with them." Lapis said, watching Vega's expression closely. It was brief, but he caught a slight wince. "...On the right track? In any case, I guess I'm here if you feel like talking. Not got anyone else to chat with these days. Team's mad at me for obvious reasons, the girls are being idiots at the moment, and I don't make very good conversation with myself."

"It's... look, I appreciate the offer, Eskander, but it's just..." Vega said, fumbling for words. With a sigh, he shrugged and repeated, "It's complicated."

Lapis studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Your call, Potter. Offer stands, though."

"Thanks." Said Vega, leaning back on his arms and staring up at the overcast sky. "...Hey, Eskander?"

"Mm?"

"We - me, Vivi, and Hyde I mean - are gonna try hunting the boggart down."

Lapis' head whipped around and he stared at Vega as though he had gone mad. "What?"

"We can't just sit back and do nothing. It'll kill again if we don't do something." Vega stated.

"The staff can't find anything. The Aurors couldn't find anything! What chance do you think _you _have of finding it?" Lapis cried. "You're going to get yourself killed, Potter!"

"Maybe. But better to get killed trying to stop the boggart than to sit around and wait for the boggart to come and kill me. It's already attacked me once, you know. It's how I worked out what it was. But it didn't actually injure me is the thing, and I dunno why." Vega explained. "It did damage, but I wasn't physically attacked. I want to keep people safe... I think this is how dad must've felt when he was at Hogwarts. No one else could - or would - go after what was in the school, so he went after it. Don't worry, I've got a plan."

"I hope it's a little more thought out than your last 'plan' was!" Lapis said, voice still slightly higher than normal. "What's stopping me from informing one of the teachers about this? I don't want you to go waltzing in and getting your throat clawed out or whatever the hell it is the boggart'll do to you when you cast something you have no business trying to cast!"

"Because I trust you. That's what's stopping you." Vega said, looking back at Lapis suddenly. "One of the three people in this place that I would trust to that degree. And before you ask why, it's because I think I get you, Eskander. You're like me, in a way. You feel isolated for some reason. You've got problems you can't talk to anyone about. You know what it feels like. Especially right now. If we don't come back within a certain time, then you can tell a teacher or something. We'll be setting out soon. I'll let you know the day we do, just to keep you from worrying until then."

"Because I'll totally stop worrying when you tell me you're off to hunt the thing that _killed _the Defense professor, right?"

"You know what I mean."

"Not sure I do, Potter." Lapis said. "You sure you're healed all the way? You're sounding pretty crazy to me."

Letting himself keel over onto the grass completely, Vega spread his arms out at his sides, staring lazily up at the cloudy sky. "It's not going to work unless I explain Cygnus, is it? I haven't even told Vivi and Hyde about Cygnus yet... look, it doesn't make sense and it probably still won't make sense, but if you promise not to tell anyone, I can try explaining."

"I sure wish you would, because you're making less sense by the minute, Potter. Are you positive you don't need me to take you back up to Pomfrey?" Asked Lapis, one eyebrow raised.

Sighing, Vega closed his eyes. "Better get comfortable. This may take awhile. I'm not sure when it started, but I first noticed it earlier in the year, when the attacks first began..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Vega walked through the halls of the school, rubbing at the back of his neck. He had tried to explain Cygnus' presence for about half an hour, but he wasn't sure Eskander quite got it. It was, after all, a bit weird. As he headed for the Pit, planning to spend the evening on the schoolwork he had missed while unconscious, he couldn't help but wonder if he was making the right decision. He hadn't seen Dumbledore yet, but he had a feeling what that would bring. A twinkle in the eye, perhaps a telling nod, or simply a seemingly innocent statement that belied what he really meant. That was how Vega knew Albus Dumbledore. The man never came out directly and stated the truth to anyone. He liked to watch, and wait, and see how things played out on their own, only stepping in when it was absolutely necessary.

Why Dumbledore thought the death of a faculty member wasn't strong enough reason to get involved was beyond Vega's comprehension, however, so he tried not to spend too much time worrying about it. As he entered the Pit, Vega headed for the couch, sitting down and staring over at a small pile of books. With a bit of a scowl, he reached for one and flipped it open. He tried reading over the page, but he wasn't taking any of it in. He knew why, of course. He was still nervous about going after the boggart. It was, in essence, something of a suicide mission. But Cygnus had ideas, and Vega had realized that ignoring the voice in his head wasn't really smart. Especially when said voice could hijack his body.

"Help me focus, would you? Be useful for a change." Vega said, murmuring quietly in the quiet room. "I need to calm down. Not going to fix anything if I'm a shaky wreck.."

'_Not my department_.' Said Cygnus. '_Need to learn some meditation tricks or somethin'. Ask dad. He probably knows a few_.'

"I guess." Vega said. "...Think they'll be mad?"

'_Who, mum and dad? Oh, they'll be furious. But it's to be expected, really. We are their kid, after all. We attract trouble like it was our job. Better to get yelled at and not have to spend every moment looking over your shoulder, though. Don't worry. We went over a ton of things. We've got this. If you don't, I do. And vice versa, I suppose. I think you just need to come to terms with the fact that Hyde might see a boggart turn into him, though. I'm sure he's wondered why you seemed so freaked out after we were 'attacked' by it_.'

"Yeah, I know. I don't like it, but if it happens, it happens. Don't think using the Exsilium again is a very wise move."

'_If it comes to it, that's what we'll do. But only as a last resort_.'

"Only as a last resort." Echoed Vega. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself a few deep, slow breaths. When he opened his eyes again, he began to read. Weird as it was, he was almost happy that Cygnus was around to talk to. He couldn't tell Eskander, and while Vivi was there for him, it still felt strange to him. Something felt different, though, since he had awakened from his coma. He wasn't sure it was confidence stemming from the fact that he and Cygnus had reached a deal, or just because he was tired of ending up in the blasted hospital bed every few weeks. He wanted to finish the boggart off.

He had _liked _Tadygbbo, dammit.

"Cygnus?"

'_Hm_?'

"We're gonna win, right?"

'_Not only are we gonna win, we're gonna come back as heroes. Gonna attract even more attention, but now we've reached an agreement, I'll be helping you on some of your uh... shortcomings, as it were. No more bad marks in class_.' Cygnus said, chuckling quietly.

"A win would be nice... even if we do wind up back in Madam Pomfrey's care for awhile." Vega admitted. "Sick of feeling paranoid. ...Think tomorrow's too soon?"

'_If you're feeling upto it, we can go whenever you want. Want to get it over with_?'

"I kinda do, yeah." Vega said. "Get it done with so I can at least _try _to enjoy the last bit of the school year, you know?"

'_Then tomorrow it is. After dinner_?'

"Probably be easiest to sneak off then, yeah. Gonna need to tell Eskander, though. Did he seem kinda odd to you earlier?"

'_Yup_.'

"Good. It's not just me, then."

'_No, it _is _just you, actually_.'

Vega made a face. "You know what I mean."

'_Yeah, I do. But it's fun getting you frustrated_.'

Rolling his eyes, Vega focused back on the Transfiguration book he was holding. He needed to get this batch of homework knocked out as quickly as he could. Especially if he was just going to wind up back in the hospital wing. Optimally, they'd all come back uninjured. At least he knew he could survive the Exsilium going south, though he was pretty sure he'd be able to successfully cast it the next time, if he had to. He wouldn't be fighting with Cygnus for control, for one thing. And he knew that Cygnus was right about Hyde seeing the boggart turn into him. If he had to, he could always make up a reason for it.

No more injuries. No more deaths. He was going to make sure the boggart wouldn't claim any more victims.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

The following day was something of a blur to Vega, who had informed the twins of his plan that morning as they walked to the Great Hall. Vega's stomach was in knots, and he had had to force himself to eat anything. At the Ravenclaw table, he noted that Lapis was still sitting alone, casting an irritated glance or two up the table every so often. He had forced himself to eat earlier in the day so he could skip out on dinner entirely, but that wasn't worked out very well. He wasn't sure how long it'd take to find the boggart, but Cygnus had given him some ideas on where to begin searching.

Dumbledore's presence was... oddly calming, he felt, looking up at the staff table. The old wizard was chatting quietly with those around him, though he looked rather somber. McGonagall didn't look so great at the moment, either. There were deep bags under her eyes and, like Vega, she also wasn't eating anything. Viola and Hydrus were eating and chatting back and forth, each thinking that avoiding dinner wouldn't help anything.

"Hey," Vega finally said, attention turning back to the Ravenclaw table. "Gonna go tell Eskander, yeah? Told him I would before we left."

"You sure that's wise? Didn't he tell you that he'd inform the staff?" Hydrus asked.

"I trust him." Vega said, getting to his feet and heading for the Ravenclaw table. Lapis saw him coming and stood to meet him at the table's end. Vega walked back to the wall the doors leading in were on so they wouldn't be overheard. "Tonight."

"What? So soon?" Lapis replied, keeping his voice down. "Why?"

"Aren't you tired of being jumpy? And having to be escorted everywhere?" Asked Vega. "Because I am. And anyway, I've got a plan, remember?"

"Still don't get why you trust me, Potter." Lapis said, blowing out a sigh and running a hand back through his hair. "I appreciate it, but it's a bit confusing."

"Is it really? C'mon, we've flown together. You're the only decent Seeker I flew against this year! If we can't find common footing from that, then it's hopeless." Vega said, grinning crookedly. "Seriously though, Eskander, don't worry about us. We'll be back by morning, surely."

"I hope you're right." Lapis said. Leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, he murmured, "Are you sure I can't talk you outta this, Potter?"

"Positive. I've got my mind set on ending this now. Guess no matter how much I want to avoid trouble, it's not gonna avoid me. Best to get it over with now before it gets any worse. Honestly, it isn't fighting the boggart that I'm really nervous about right now." Vega said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"What? What would make you more nervous than that?" Asked Lapis.

"It's really dumb. I just... I know I'm gonna be going down some really dark hallways and..."

"You're afraid of the dark?"

"No! Uh... maybe. I dunno. More like I'm afraid of might be hiding _in _the dark, if that makes sense. Had some pretty nasty nightmares about... well, just things that live in the dark, I guess. I get kinda freaked out if I'm in a dark place I'm not used to. Like, I can walk around my house at night with no problems, but this is different." Vega said.

Snorting, Lapis shook his head. "You're weird, Potter. Anyone ever told you that?"

"Many times." Vega said. "...We're gonna get going, I think. If any of the staff gets up, and Dumbledore doesn't stop them, cause a distraction for us?"

"Sure... but why do you think Dumbledore might do something?" Asked Lapis.

"You kidding? He's been sitting there watching us this entire time, smiling. He totally knows we're going after the boggart." Vega said, nodding his head toward the staff table.

Glancing aside, Lapis saw that Dumbledore was indeed behaving as Vega had said. "...He's kind of mad, isn't he?"

"Dad thought so." Vega said. "Can't say I disagree. Anyway, I'm gonna go grab Vivi and Hyde and take off."

"...Good luck." Lapis said, frowning slightly.

"Thanks. We'll need it." Vega said, turning and heading quickly back to the Slytherin table, where Viola and Hydrus were just finishing their dinners.

Pushing away from the wall, Lapis walked back to his seat as the three Slytherins left the Great Hall, trying to be as casual about it as they could. As he sat back down, Lapis leaned against the table, a shiver running down his back.

'_Just come back to me alive, Potter_...'

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Where are we even going to start looking?" Asked Viola as she and Hydrus trailed behind Vega.

"Starting with the dungeons and working our way up from there." Vega replied. "It's hiding somewhere. Best to start at the bottom and work our way up."

"Do you have any idea how unlike yourself you sound right now?" Viola asked. "It's weird hearing you actually sound confident. No offense."

"None taken." Vega said, grinning over his shoulder at the girl. "Uh... and if I seem to be out of it, it's just because I'm talking with Cygnus."

"Talking with a voice in your head?" Hydrus chimed in. "You can try explaining it all you want, that's never not going to be strange, Potter. You realize that, right?"

"Well aware of it, Hyde." Vega said. "Not like I asked for a split personality, you know. Just trying to make due with what I have so we don't have another Voro Exsilium incident. He was trying to get control away from me, I was fighting him, and I nearly killed myself because of it."

"So let's recap events." Hydrus said, hands slipping into his pockets. "Tadygbbo holds a class to help us protect ourselves from boggarts. You think whatever you're scared of is bad enough to warrant the use of some spell you found. You freeze up while casting, your other personality takes over, you fight with it for control of your body, and end up turning your ribs to dust as a result. When you wake up, you've apparently befriended the voice in your head, named it, and hatched a scheme to hunt down the thing that _killed _the Defense professor. And now here we all are, wandering by ourselves through the castle, unaware of where to actually find this thing."

"Nice summary." Said Viola, rolling her eyes.

Vega twitched slightly and came to a halt. Turning around, he glared at Hydrus through decidedly un-Vega-like eyes. "You know, this is all your fault anyway. You should be happy that we're trying to kill this thing. You always tell us that we should be more assertive, right? So, we're being assertive! You can't just turn around and tell me not to be that way now! Bit late for that! Ass."

Vega's eyes closed then, he wobbled, and when he opened his eyes they were their normal green again. He made a face, looked up at Hydrus, and muttered, "Please don't give him a reason to do that. It's like being thrown into a very dark room with a very small window. I can see out, but only just, and I can't really do anything to get out unless he _wants _me to."

The twins blinked at this rather odd exchange, glancing at one another. Viola shrugged and asked, "So that was Cygnus, was it?"

"Yes. That was Cygnus. Sorry, Hyde. We're a bit tense right now. I think it's getting the better of him." Vega said, turning back around and starting to walk again.

Hydrus squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, shaking his head. "Okay, first of all, you really don't have any idea how odd that is. Second, how is any of this _my _fault?"

"All in due time. Need to focus right now. Vivi, not a _word_." Vega said, hunching forward slightly as he walked. His cheeks felt rather warm and, even in the relatively low light of the dungeon corridor they were in, he didn't want to risk either of them seeing him blush. "I wish I had dad's map with me right now..."

"Why? Doesn't that thing only tell you where people are?" Viola asked.

"I dunno. Boggarts can take human form, though. Just gotta bait it with someone whose fear involves a person." Vega said. Then, under his breath, he added, "I'd make for pretty good bait, come to think of it..."

"When they all came to check the castle over, I'm sure they searched all the secret passageways." Said Hydrus, rubbing at his temples.

"Right. So that means the boggart's getting around in the plumbing or something, like what happened with the basilisk." Vega said.

"Well, now I have a mental image of someone flushing a boggart. Thanks." Viola groused.

Snorting, Vega continued, "I dunno. Dad said there were a few places - like the Pit - that weren't marked. Right?"

"I suppose. But that still leaves us searching without a goal. We can't possibly scour the entire castle if we've got to search while keeping our hands against the walls in the hopes of finding a secret door or something." Hydrus said.

"You know, for someone who's actually here, you sure sound like you don't want to be." Vega said. "C'mon, Hyde, we can't keep ignoring this thing. And if Dumbledore's not going to do anything, we're gonna have to. It's like some stupid rite of passage for us or something."

"I'd like to have a few words with whoever decided that." Hydrus stated. Sighing, he shook his head again. "Just do me a favor, Potter."

"What's that?"

"If we can't find where this thing is within a week, we should give up. The school year's only got a few more months. I'm sure McGonagall will bring in as many people as she needs to when Hogwarts isn't filled with students." Hydrus said.

"In that 'few months,' more people could die." Vega said. "I'm going to search however long it takes, Hyde. If I have to go it alone, I will."

"I'm not letting you hunt this thing by yourself!" Hydrus declared, sounding extremely frustrated. "But I also don't want to spend all of my free time hunting something that's _killed a staff member!_"

"Would you two ladies settle down?" Viola requested, her tone dry. "We're trying to find a boggart and I daresay it isn't going to come for us while you two are bickering like little old women."

Vega scowled, then muttered, "You drive. I need a rest." He lurched forward, then sputtered, "Oh you have to be kidding me... you can't do that!" There was a pause, and then, "'I just did'? I'd slap you, but that would hurt me, too. Oh, this is going to be intolerable!"

"You're telling us." Hydrus said, voice quiet.

Letting out an almighty sigh, Cygnus turned around to face the twins again. "Okay, since he went to get his stupid beauty sleep or something, I'm in charge for awhile, I guess."

"And you're Cygnus?" Viola asked. "Just to clarify and all."

"Blue eyes, Vivi." Cygnus said, smiling pleasantly. "Right, just do us a favor and stick to the naming scheme me and the idiot came up with? It'll help. At least until he accepts what I am and we merge or whatever it is we're supposed to do."

"You're not helping my headache, Potter. Can we get on with it?" Asked Hydrus, looking about as sour as he sounded.

"Yeah yeah, I ju- what? Where?" Cygnus said, frowning.

"Where what?" Asked Hydrus.

"Not you. Him." Cygnus said.

"Him?"

"Him! Vega! He said something!" Cygnus explained, rolling his eyes. "Now where did you see it?"

Cygnus frowned for a moment, then walked past the twins, feeling along the rightmost wall. As he moved, he kept murmuring quietly to himself. At one point, he seemed to be having a fight with Vega, which sounded incredibly odd to the twins, who could only hear one side of it. Finally rolling his eyes, Cygnus went to lean against the wall... and promptly vanished into it, letting out a surprised cry. Viola and Hydrus jumped at this, then rushed over to where they had seen their friend last.

"Vega! Er... Cygnus! Are you okay?" Viola called.

A head poked back out through the wall, green eyes shining. A grin on his face, Vega triumphantly declared, "I saw the boggart!"

"Is the entire night going to be this weird?" Hydrus asked, turning to his sister.

"Shush, Hydrus." Viola said. Looking back to Vega, she asked, "So... green means Vega? Are you okay?"

"Green means Vega." Confirmed the blond. "And yeah, we're fine. Cygnus pushed me back out as we fell so I'd feel it instead of him. Jerk. But yeah, come through here! I totally saw the boggart here. Or... I saw what I feared stick its head out, I guess I should say. Was a bit strange."

"Seems to be the direction the evening's going, yes." Hydrus said, now looking like he wanted nothing more than to go have a nap.

"There's another hallway that kinda... curves downwards as it goes." Vega said, turning his head so that only half of it was visible. "Never seen anything like it in the rest of the castle. I thought the dungeons were supposed to be the bottom..."

"There are lower dungeons." Hydrus said. "They've been in disuse since long before our parents were students here, though. We're under the lake right now. Or we should be, anyway. Some of them were apparently flooded a long time ago. There's no telling where this path will take us."

"Well, at least we have a lead." Viola said. "Right. You two get your wands out. We know it's in front of us now. So at the very least, we also know we can't be snuck up on!"

Vega ducked back behind the false wall, drawing his wand and turning to look back at the curved hallway he was standing in. As the twins came through, each holding their own wands, he nodded at them and started walking again. "Let's try and keep quiet, yeah? Don't wanna alert the dumb thing that we're coming for it..."

The curved hallway went on for what seemed like forever, bending at such a steep angle that the three had a bit of trouble keeping their footing at one point. When it started to level out again, the stone around them was tinted green from moss growing all over it. Water dripped from places in the ceiling here and there, and every so often, a sickly creaking noise could be heard from somewhere overhead. It was around this point that Vega also pointed out something very bothersome - the candles that lined the hall had gone out just ahead, and there didn't seem to be any sign of light at all past that point.

"I'll use Lumos." Vega said. "You two keep your wands at the ready. If something flies out at me, you two are gonna have to be the ones to do something about it..."

"What do you think's making that sound?" Asked Viola, looking at the ceiling.

"Probably the lake." Hydrus said. "Let's try not to think about what happens if the ceiling decides to give way..."

"...Which is all I'll be able to think about now. Thanks." Viola said, shivering. "Let's go, Vega. The sooner we can deal with the boggart and escape, the happier I'll be."

"That makes two of us." Vega said, lighting his wand up and slowly advancing down the hallway. As they proceeded down the hall, Vega felt his mouth and throat going dry on him. "...Hey, guys?"

"Yeah?" Asked Viola.

"You know three summers back, when we were all out camping, and I woke up yelling?" Vega said, his voice quiet.

"What about it?" Asked Hydrus.

"You remember how everyone woke up to check on me, and I wouldn't sleep anywhere but next to the fire that our parents had made?" Vega continued. "And how I wouldn't say what I had dreamt about that made me so scared?"

"This isn't going somewhere good, is it?" Viola said.

"No, probably not." Vega said. "It... ever since then, I've kind of had this irrational fear of dark places..."

"You're scared of the dark?" Hydrus asked.

"Not the dark. What's in the dark." Vega corrected, swallowing hard and aiming his wand low. "...See, I had dreamt that I was alone in a long hallway like this one, and that I wasn't alone. All I had for light was a lantern with very little oil. So I walked and I walked... and then I saw something that shouldn't have been there."

"Is this really the best time for this story?" Viola asked, glancing around nervously.

"It was a shadow." Vega continued. "Only nothing was casting it. It wasn't _my _shadow, and there was nothing in the hall that could've made it. When I blinked, it was in a different position. I tried blinking one eye at a time, but eventually I had to blink normally, and that's when they got me."

"'They.'" Echoed Hydrus. "Who is 'they,' Potter?"

"Before we went camping, I was watching reruns. Dad had showed me some old episodes of Doctor Who that he liked..."

"Vashta Nerada?" Viola guessed.

"Vashta Nerada." Vega confirmed. "So ever since then, I've been terrified of things in the dark. I don't like crossing shadows very much, either, if I'm gonna be completely honest. Normally it isn't too big a problem, but down here... it brought back a lot of bad memories."

"On the up side, they aren't real." Hydrus said. "On the down side, now I feel like I'm being watched. Follow your own suggestion and be quiet for awhile, Potter..."

"Right, sorry. C'mon. This thing can't go on forever..." Vega said, holding his wand out further and leading the twins deeper into the underground corridor.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Ugh. February has been terrible. Blizzards and sickness and everything inbetween. Feeling a bit more motivated now, and I'm gonna try to finish book 1 by the end of March. That's a promise. Because if I don't set dumb goals and make myself keep them, I'll never get book 2 finished before the year's up, ya know?

So we're almost at the end now! I think I said book 1 was 18 chapters. Sounds about right. The big climax will happen in 17 and then 18 will wrap things up and set up book 2, Poison From the Stars. I'll probably go start up 17 right now just to get some of it done. It's 2:30 in the morning at the time of writing, and I'm feeling too apathetic to do anything else. Onward we go, to the finale of book 1!

_**Post-edit update**_: Well, for those of you who don't check my profile, I've completed the last two chapters. I'll be releasing one every weekend until book 1 ends at chapter 18. I powered the remaining chapters out over the course of about three days and at the time of this update, I've got a third of book 2's first chapter done, as well. Updates, dammit!


	17. Azure and Emerald

"There's a bend up ahead." Vega stated. "What do we do?"

"Go around it?" Suggested Viola. "Not like there's another way forward, you know."

"I know that." Vega said. "I meant, what if something's waiting around the corner?"

"Then we prepare to launch an attack and if we see anything, we do so." Hydrus said. "Do you want me to take the lead for this bit?"

"No, I can do it." Vega said, sounding nervous. "I'm not gonna like it, but I can do it. You two just be ready in case something flies out of the darkness and tries to bite my face off."

After walking down the underground hallway for what had to have been an hour, they had finally come across a feature other than mossy stone and dripping water. A sharp, abrupt turn to the right was just ahead. And, like the rest of the hall, the only light was now coming from Vega's wand. They had now walked so far that the light of the torches on the walls of the first part of the corridor were no longer visible. Vega's irrational fear of things lurking in the shadows wasn't helping matters any, as he kept lowering his wand to check the floor for anything that might be down there.

The three moved forward slowly, Viola and Hydrus raising their wands in preparation for a boggart or whatever else might jump out at them. And, with Vega giving them a silent signal, they ran around the corner together... and saw nothing but more long, empty hallway ahead of them.

"Oh come on!" Cried Vega. "Who would ever build this? What purpose does a long, empty hall serve?"

"Hogwarts has a lot of places that don't make sense." Viola said. "You're acting like this is somehow new."

"Yeah, but even the Chamber of Secrets had a _purpose_, Vivi." Vega said, slumping against a wall and letting out a shaky breath. "This? This is just a neverending hall! This is stupid!"

"...I just had a really bad thought. Should I share?" Hydrus said, sounding rather uncomfortable.

"Might as well." Vega said, pushing himself from the wall and looking surly. "Not like my mood can get much worse."

"We'll see about that, I suppose." Hydrus said. Turning to look back in the direction they had come from, he continued, "What do you two think the odds are that we passed at least one more false wall on our way here?"

Vega's shoulders instantly slumped, and Viola let out a loud, frustrated groan.

"Okay... okay, this is what we're doing." Vega said. "We're gonna keep going forward. If we can't find anything, we go back..."

"We're going to be down here for a long time, aren't we?" Asked Viola. "What do we do about food? Or sleep? Or... y'know... facilities?"

"Might as well just have a wee in the bloody corner. I don't think we can make this place any more miserable than it already is." Muttered Vega. "If we need to sleep, we sleep in shifts. If we need to eat, I bet I could call for Dobby. I'd rather not have to spend a single meal time down here, though, so let's get on with it."

"Potter's right. Mostly. I'll keep an eye on the way we came. Viola, you get between us." Hydrus said, lighting his own wand up.

"Not hearing complaints from me." Viola said. And, now in something of a line, the three resumed walking.

But nothing came from behind. Nothing came from in front, either. The suspense that Vega had been feeling had now given way to outright annoyance. He was just about to voice this irritation when he saw something in the distance. He squinted at it, not quite knowing what he was seeing. "...Something up ahead, guys."

"Is it moving?" Asked Hydrus.

"No, it's... the hall ends, I think? Or opens up into something..." Vega said, leading his friends forward until they had reached what he had been seeing. The stone hallway's end looked to have been broken apart by something. Rubble was scattered everywhere and there was a giant, almost perfectly spherical hole in the earth that had been behind the stone hall's end. Carved into the very dirt that was holding Hogwarts up, the tunnel had somehow not collapsed in on itself. Though, as Hydrus was quite keen on pointing out, this wasn't any better than the creaking of the hallway.

"Do we go on?" Asked Viola. "What if it caves in?"

"It's not natural." Vega said. "It's too round. I say we go for it. If the hall's held, I'm betting this one will, too..."

"Lot to bet on an unsure thing." Hydrus said. "I don't know about this, Potter. I say we go back and get the staff and bring them down here."

"If you think I'm hauling my tired butt out of here without anything to show for it, you're insane." Groused Vega. "I haven't been walking all this time to turn around and head back."

"You're being unreasonable again, Potter." Hydrus said.

"No, I kinda get where he's coming from, actually." Viola said. "My feet are killing me. I don't want to walk all the way back. Especially since the boggart's probably down this way. That means it'd be _behind _us the whole way back. I really don't like the thought of that. Do you?"

"Well, no, but..." Hydrus began.

"No buts. C'mon, you two. Cygnus thinks we're on the right path." Vega said, stepping forward and into the large tunnel. It was about twice as tall as the hallway had been, so there was plenty of room to move about. All the same, Vega walked very slowly once inside and kept his arm and head movements at a minimum.

"Oh, well if _Cygnus _thinks that..." Muttered Hydrus under his breath. A bit louder, he asked, "How does it seem in there?"

"Stable." Said Vega. "Come on in. It's really cold, but that's not really very surprising. The hall wasn't really warm, either."

Reluctantly, the twins stepped out of the hall and into the tunnel. With Vega keeping an eye forward and Hydrus still watching behind them, the three continued on, into the strange tunnel.

"Almost looks like a really big worm came through here." Vega murmured. "Wonder if the basilisk did this before it got to the Chamber of Secrets... dad didn't find anything there, I don't think, but that doesn't mean anything, right?"

"Really don't want to think about fighting a basilisk, Potter." Hydrus stated, teeth clenched.

"Right. Thinking out loud again. Sorry." Vega apologized.

It wasn't much better than making their way through the seemingly endless hallway had been, though the earth around them made them go even slower than they had been. It continued, almost in a straight line, in the direction the hall had been in. It was almost as though something had simply stripped this bit of some stone and candles. At one point, Vega stumbled forward a bit, managing to catch himself before he went tumbling, as the dirt path curved downward. Much like the initial bit of the long hallway they had come across, this path also aimed awkwardly down at an angle. The three decided the best way to get down this bit was to slide down and hope for the best.

But the ground was hard and dry, so their attempts to slide turned into little more than very short scoots. Hydrus complained, and tried to stand back upright, but nearly went tumbling forward himself. He promptly sat back down and, with the others, resumed the scoot down the hill. When they reached the bottom, they were greeted with a sight that was both welcome and unwelcome to them. The dirt path broke back into the castle, piercing another wall and scattering debris all over the place. And, while it was good to have sturdy stone around them again, it did pose a very interesting question.

"How far down do the dungeons go, exactly?" Asked Vega in a hushed voice. "We were under the regular dungeons before, that went down a bit, and we've just gone down again."

"It's... really quiet here, isn't it?" Viola said. "That's bothering me more than anything. I kind of miss the stone creaking and leaking. At least that was some noise. We've got nothing down here except silence..."

"I don't like it either." Vega said. "I hope we're getting close. I really don't want to think about the trek out of here now."

"We've got to be in the lowest dungeons. I wonder how long it's been since anyone was down here..." Hydrus said, looking around as they resumed their seemingly-endless journey into the bowels of the castle. "No idea what this part of the castle was used for..."

"Probably made people serving detentions walk down here and back up again..." Vega said, making a face. "It's certainly felt like one so far..."

"I wonder what part of the castle we're under right now." Viola said. "I kinda lost track of where we were..."

"Same here." Vega said. "Trying not to th- hey, look!"

Vega came to a halt and pointed ahead of him. In the distance was a faint light coming from what looked like an open room. Indeed, there were a few rooms littered along the new hall they were in, though the doors on them seemed heavier than those found in Hogwarts proper. So far, they had all been locked, and none of the three were in any hurry to pop them open to have a peek inside. Looking at one another, the three started moving a little faster as they headed for the glow.

As they got closer, their footsteps began to splash in a shallow pool of water that seemed to come from the room itself. Once they got to the open doorway, they saw why. Hearts sinking somewhat, they stepped through the doorway and into the remnants of what seemed like it could have been a classroom at one point in time. It was half destroyed now, opening onto yet another tunnel through the earth. A similar one was overhead, though it was far smaller. Even Vega, tiny as he was, would have never been able to squeeze up through it. It went up for a long way, and apparently opened up onto the Hogwarts grounds rather than into the castle itself, as moonlight was what had been shining down through it. The room was also filled with stagnant water, which had rotted most of the desks and chairs. Mosquitoes buzzed around them, as well, leading them to quickly get into the tunnel on the far side.

"Well, _that _was fun. Just when I think we were about to reach boggarts, all we get are mosquitoes!" Vega cried, slapping his cheek when he felt a bug land on it. "This place just keeps getting better and better!"

"At least we know we aren't under the castle anymore." Hydrus said, swatting at the air to try and keep the flying pests away from him.

"Yeah, we're just a thousand feet underground." Viola muttered. "This place sucks!"

"Oh... it gets better." Vega said, his voice gone flat. "This is a dead-end. We're going to have to go back and start popping locks."

"What?" Viola cried, storming up to Vega and looking ahead. Sure enough, the dirt tunnel came to a rather abrupt end just around a slight curve. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me! Back through those bugs? Vega, there'd _better _be a boggart down here..."

"You think I enjoy this?" Vega griped. "Come on, let's get this over with!"

Now feeling as miserable as they no doubt looked, the trio headed back the way they came, rushing through the soggy classroom and pulling the heavy, wooden door behind them as they exited into the hall once more. They then quickly made their way back down the corridor until they reached the next door, swatting at mosquitoes all the while.

Aiming his wand at the door, Hydrus unlocked it and caused the door to fall open with a creaking groan. Inside was just another classroom, this pne spared the ravages of nature. After inspecting around it just to ensure that they weren't missing something, they tried the next door down. Again and again, they opened doors, finding only long-abandoned rooms as well as the occasional family of spiders.

"Only two left. I'm gonna be mad if one of these doesn't lead somewhere..." Vega said, opening the next door himself. "...Oh good, more hallway! Haven't seen enough of _those _yet!"

Viola let out a strangled cry at this, with Hydrus blowing out a long sigh at the same time. Vega trudged into the newly-opened hall as Viola muttered darkly about the reasons anyone would ever have to put a door at the end of a hallway. They weren't walking for very long, however, before Vega came to a stop, quickly turning and putting a finger up to his lips to silence his friends. Hydrus frowned at him, and Viola quietly asked, "What is it?"

"Hear something. Be quiet and move slowly..." Vega whispered, creeping forward down the hall. They came to another corner, and Vega peeked around it cautiously. He immediately put a hand over his mouth and ducked back behind cover, pressing himself back against the wall. "...We have a problem."

"What? Is it the boggart?" Hydrus asked.

"Look for yourselves. But just barely look around the corner!" Vega said, quietly moving to one side to allow the twins access.

Viola went first, and had a reaction very similarly to Vega's. Hydrus went last and drew in a sharp breath. The corner led to another hallway. Or, at the very least, something that could have been a proper hallway at one point in time. Most of it looked wrecked, with some of the ceiling collapsing in on it at points. There were a few rooms off to the sides, and from these, passing from one side to the next and back again, were boggarts. Having not detected the three Slytherins yet, they were still in their default state, one that was rather wispy and formless in nature. They floated around slowly, moving between rooms and only really doing something when they crossed paths. When this occurred, the two boggarts that had moved by one another would briefly try shapeshifting. Upon failing, they'd return to wisp form and continue on their way.

The majority of the boggarts, around eight in total, were gathered around a small crater towards the back end of the hall. They were floating over what could only be described as eggs of some sort. They were tall and thin, and were giving off something resembling the wispy material the fully grown boggarts were made of.

"Great. A breeding pool." Hydrus hissed. "You and the voice in your head got any bright ideas, Potter? Because I'm having a hard time thinking right now!"

"We thought of this while we were scheming... we had a lot of time to go over situations like this, after all..." Vega said. "But... talking it over and actually being here are two different things. I think... I think Cygnus wants to try something..."

"What?" Asked Viola, reaching out and grabbing her brother's hand. "We can't stop that many, can we?"

"We can... and I think we can without the Exsilium. Hyde might be mad at me afterwards, but that can't really be helped..." Vega said, smiling weakly. "...But it might knock us out, apparently..."

"Then you aren't doing it." Hydrus stated. "Not doing anything that _might _knock you out."

"Well, if you've got a better idea, I'd love hearing it!" Vega said, trying to keep his voice low. "I trust Cygnus... after all, we share the same body. If I get hurt, so does he. I think the best way to do this is to let him come forward and do whatever it is he plans to do."

"Potter, you have to be positive you can get them with whatever this is..." Hydrus said. "You can't be playing around!"

Eyes flashing from green to blue suddenly, Cygnus shook his head quickly. "I got this, Hyde. Just trust me. I'm going to get them all on me, alright? And then, if everything goes right... we'll kill them."

"'_If_' is the part of this I'm having trouble with here, Potter!" Hydrus whispered, grabbing Cygnus by the shoulders. "What are you going to try?"

"Something ridiculous." Cygnus said, grinning and breaking away from Hydrus' grip, stepping out into full view of the boggarts and calling out loudly, "Hey, boggarts! Come and get me!"

Hydrus and Viola exchanged a quick, terrified look, then scrambled to get out at Cygnus' side, aiming their wands at the boggarts, who were now pulsing with a faint light as they floated away from the egg pool. Cygnus licked his lips as more and more boggarts came floating from the side rooms. As they gathered, they began shapeshifting. Some turning into Hydrus, some into Vega himself - splitting into two halves then recombining. They all seemed focused on Cygnus, however. This seemed to suit him just fine, as he raised his wand in preparation.

"Potter!" Hissed Hydrus. "Do something!"

"I am..." Cygnus said, his voice belying how scared he was feeling. Or rather, how scared Vega was feeling. "Gonna put everything I have into this."

By now, the boggarts had stopped being Hydrus, and were now the splitting-and-recombining Vega. As Cygnus roared out "_RIDDIKULUS_," he caught them mid-shift, making them look like stretched and warped versions of Vega. But the spell, meant for a single target and cast by an eleven year old boy, didn't seem to be good enough. The boggarts seemed to be breaking through the spell, their assumed forms looking sillier as they stretched in slow motion.

"It wasn't good enough!" Viola whimpered. "What now?"

'_Yeah, what now_?' Vega cried out. '_This isn't working_!'

"I've got this! That wasn't the part I was gonna pump out power into!" Cygnus replied, laughing as he took aim once more. "I just gotta hit 'em all at once!"

Before Hydrus could grab him, Cygnus had rushed forward toward the group of boggarts, yelling something about having to be closer to pull this off. What 'this' was, Hydrus didn't know. Cygnus kept his wand trained on the slow-moving boggarts until he was almost in the middle of them. There was a flash of blue light, followed by a flash of red light, with Cygnus screaming something that was lost in the roar of the spell that came next. Spiky red crystals shot out of the walls and floor, slamming up, into, and through the transforming boggarts. Slowed-down, inhuman wails started to fill the air as the boggarts were driven into the stone on the walls and ceiling.

The boggarts' cries were lost as the crystals impaling them quickly started to encase their bodies, which were bleeding rather profusely at this point. When the crystals had stopped growing over the boggarts, Cygnus raised his wand and brought it straight down, slamming it to the floor.

The crystals shattered violently, as did the half-transformed boggarts trapped within. Blood and meaty bits of boggart fell to the ground alongside the remnants of Cygnus' spell. Panting heavily, Cygnus forced himself to move further down the hall until he was standing at the edge of the little pool that held the boggart eggs. Wand cutting an arc through the air, he hissed, "_Cruentus Via_!"

Smaller shards of jagged, red crystals flew from his wand, piercing the eggs below. And, moments later, more spikes shot out from within the eggs. If anything had been alive inside of them before, it wouldn't be now. Swallowing hard, Cygnus turned and started to walk back toward the Malfoy twins, who were staring at him with stunned expressions on their faces. He opened his mouth to say something, but only managed a hoarse gurgle before he fell forward, barely catching himself before his head hit the ground.

"Potter!"

"Vega!"

The twins rushed over as Cygnus pushed himself over onto his back. His breathing was coming in short, labored bursts, but he was grinning. Blue eyes faded to green, and Vega whispered, "Did we get 'em all?"

"I... yeah, you got 'em all..." Viola said. Then, turning to her brother, she asked, "He _did _get them all, right?"

Hydrus raised his wand and went to quickly check the side rooms. A few moments later and an odd noise came from one of them. When Hydrus came back out, his right shoe and everything around it was covered in green ichor. "There were a few more eggs in that one," he explained. "Potter, are you alright?"

"Nope..." Vega said, trying to raise an arm. It was shaking violently, so much so that he was unable to keep hold of his wand. "Feels like... hospital."

"Hospit- Vega? Hey! Vega!"

Viola shook Vega's body as his eyes slipped shut. He still wore a triumphant smile on his face, even while unconscious. Looking at Hydrus, she asked, "What do we do?"

Hydrus ran a hand back through his hair and replied, "I don't know. We can't carry him up that slope in the tunnel, we can't apparate, no one knows we're here..."

"Hey... hey, look!" Viola exclaimed, looking down at Vega again. The blond had apparently regained consciousness to some extent, as he was looking up at Viola through barely-open eyes and was attempting to mouth something to her. "...What? Vega, I don't know what you're trying to say!"

"...Understood, Potter." Hydrus said, suddenly. "Rest. We'll get you out of here."

Vega's eyes rolled up to look at Hydrus for a moment, and he managed to mouth out 'I'm sorry' before passing out again. Viola looked from her friend to her brother and asked, "Did you understand what he was getting at?"

"I think so... I just hope it works." Hydrus said. Taking a breath, he called out, "_DOBBY_!"

His cry echoed through the ruined hallway and, for a moment, he thought it fell on deaf ears. However, a loud **_CRACK _**filled the air and suddenly, a house elf was standing nearby. Dobby seemed a bit confused as to where, exactly, he was. But when he saw Vega and the twins, he rushed over. Viola and Hydrus, in rapid succession, explained where they were - or at least, where they thought they were - and what had happened, both to the boggarts and to Vega. Dobby promised he would go and get help, and vanished. A few minutes later, he reappeared, saying that he had informed the headmistress of where they were. He had been ordered to stay with them, and to see if there was anything he could do for Vega.

"Dobby is sorry, but he is not knowing how to heal... Vega Potter has used lots of magical energy, as Dobby is feeling it in the air. If Dobby was to guess, sirs, Dobby would say that Vega Potter is using almost all of his magic to stop the monsters!"

"He's just like his dad!" Viola cried, glaring down at Vega through slightly wet eyes. "Idiot..."

"He'll be okay, won't he?" Asked Hydrus.

"He is the son of the great Harry Potter, sir! Dobby is certain Vega Potter will be recovering in no time!" Said the house elf, smiling up at Hydrus.

Eventually, Hydrus sat down, leaning back against a portion of unruined wall. The four sat in relative silence for what felt like forever, the only noise coming when Viola would ask Dobby a question. Soon, however, Dobby's ears perked up, and he got to his feet. As he turned, he saw a good portion of the Hogwarts staff come rumbling around the corner, McGonagall leading the charge. When she saw the scene in front of her, McGonagall came to a dead halt and stared. Dumbledore came walking up from the back of the pack and, leaning in, murmured to her, "Like father, like son, wouldn't you say, Minerva?"

"Don't you start encouraging this!" Cried McGonagall, rounding on the former headmaster. "Of all the foolish, dangerous things they could have done! They could have been killed, Albus!"

"Ah, but they weren't." Dumbledore said. "Vega knew he could call Dobby, you see. If they had to, they could have retreated at any time."

"Yes, while being chased by... who knows how many boggarts!" McGonagall exclaimed. "They would have made it as far as that slope before being caught! I daresay one house elf would not be able to keep away this many boggarts!"

"And yet that - and more - is what an eleven year old boy has done, Minerva." Dumbledore said, a smile on his face. "Or rather, two eleven year old boys and one eleven year old girl."

"That is entirely beside the point and you know it!" McGonagall stated. With a sigh, she turned and walked over. "Is Mister Potter alright, Dobby?"

"He is in no mortal peril, miss!" Dobby said, smiling pleasantly. "He has probably burned up most of his magic, but he is in no mortal peril!"

"That isn't exactly 'alright,' if you ask me..." Muttered Viola, who was still on the ground next to Vega, holding one of his hands. "Is there a quick way back up, Professor? I'm... I'm really tired..."

"I think it can be arranged, Miss Malfoy." McGonagall said. Turning to her brother, she asked, "Are the two of you alright?"

"Ask again when my heart isn't in my throat." Hydrus said. "Potter just leapt out, alerted them, then charged. Absolutely mental..."

"One thing we can agree on, Mister Malfoy." McGonagall said. Looking over his shoulder, she asked, "I take it you can summon Fawkes, Albus?"

"Of course." Said Dumbledore. Pursing his lips, the old wizard let out a melodic whistle. Within seconds, a flash of fire erupted nearby, revealing one rather large phoenix.

"Then let us get these three up to Poppy and Gabriel." McGonagall said.

And, starting with Vega, Fawkes landed on the three Slytherins and vanished, reappearing in the Hospital Wing with them. When Hydrus, who insisted on being taken last, had gone with the phoenix, McGonagall let out a long sigh. "They're trying to give me a heart attack, I swear..."

Chuckling, Dumbledore strode over and placed a hand on McGonagall's back. "Some things cannot be prevented, Minerva. The children of the Potters and Malfoys inviting trouble and going after it themselves seems to be one of these things. Your godson seems to be a very interesting case, however. Taking after Harry very closely in some regards, wouldn't you say?"

"Unfortunately." McGonagall said, turning back toward the staff. "Search around - go in pairs and look for hidden rooms. If there are any more boggarts, fully grown or otherwise, get rid of them. When we make it back up top, we'll seal these corridors off properly. If we happen to miss something, then at least it won't be able to get into the school from down here."

The staff split apart into small groups and began searching the area, leaving McGonagall with Dumbledore, who pulled a peppermint from his pocket and offered it to her.

"My stomach is irritable enough at the moment, Albus. It doesn't need any assistance." She stated tersely.

Shrugging, Dumbledore popped it into his mouth. "The children are alright, Minerva. How are _you_?"

"I was doing fine until they arrived. Now, one of my staff is dead and it seems very likely that bad things will keep happening until they graduate." McGonagall said. "To say that I'm stressed would be an understatement. Gareth was a fine man and a good teacher."

"Indeed he was. But it does go to show that even the best of us make mistakes." Dumbledore said, offering the headmistress a slight smile. "Come now, Minerva. Let us join in the search. I believe we still have a bit of work ahead of us before we can check in on those three."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Why did that even work?" Asked Vega.

"I told you I was gonna pump all we had into it, didn't I?" Cygnus replied, sitting nearby. "That's exactly what I did."

"That explains nothing!" Cried Vega, glaring up at the sky. "You know, sometimes I think it's better to just not worry about it, but then the logical part of my brain starts to have a _seizure_."

"You're gonna feel really sick and shaky for awhile. Not much to do about that." Cygnus said. "We really should ask dad about this..."

"Or we can just forget about it and not think about it and just move on from the unpleasantness of the whole thing." Vega suggested. "How long until I wake up, by the way?"

"Could probably go any time you felt like you had the energy, honestly." Cygnus said, looking around him. "You won't be casting for awhile, and you're probably not gonna want to eat. Treat it like a normal trip to the hospital!"

"Normal, you say. I don't want to be here so often that I start developing _habits_." Vega groaned. "Okay. I've got a rule for our second year here - no hospital stays!"

"I love a good challenge!" Cygnus laughed. "Alright, go on and wake up. At least argue long enough to get us back in the Pit's bed. Far more comfortable."

Vega pushed himself to his feet, stretching. "Mmph... Vivi's gonna be mad and Hyde's probably gonna wanna know why some of the boggarts turned into him, huh?"

"Probably, yes."

"Not all of them were doing that, though. Why were some turning into me and doing that weird thing?"

"You'll figure it out someday, I'm sure." Cygnus said. "Go on, get outta here. It's cramped with two people here."

"Cramped? It's a giant, open field. Even if it's all in my mind, it's still a fair bit better than that endless hallway we were in." Vega said. "...But yeah, I'm going. Best to get it over with. Talk to ya later."

"Preferrably after some rest. And something really cold to drink." Cygnus said.

"Preferrably." Echoed Vega. He closed his eyes for a few moments and concentrated. He wasn't in a nice, warm field. He wasn't hanging around with a visual manifestation of the voice in his head. He was in Hogwarts. He was in the Hospital Wing. He was...

"_Owwwwww_..."

He was in a lot of pain. It felt like someone had punched him in the gut while running at full speed. Why did a shortage of magic hurt so much? He cracked an eye open and tried to take in his surroundings, but he could barely focus for how sore he felt. He wanted to double over and curl up on his side, but the thought of moving at all seemed like a really terrible idea. He settled for opening the other eye and staring up at the ceiling.

"I daresay if an 'ow' is the only thing that comes from this, then you've come out of it for the better, somehow." Came a clipped voice to his left.

"Hullo to you, too, Madam Pomfrey." Vega said, his voice slightly raspy. "Why does everything hurt?"

"Because you used up far too much of your magic, Mister Potter. I would have thought that obvious. You won't be-"

"...doing much of anything for awhile. Right. Sorry, bit groggy. And sore. Very, very sore." Vega said. "Also? Brain isn't letting me think. Too focused on the stomach pain."

"Just lie there and try to relax." Came Gabriel's voice as she walked into view, carrying a tray of potions. "It's nice that you didn't spend a week out of commission this time. Getting better!"

"Not coming up here next year." Vega declared. "So... not been out of it for a week?"

"Nope. Just a few hours." Gabriel said.

"What time is it?"

"Late enough that everyone in this school should have long since gone to bed." Madam Pomfrey stated, reaching for one of the potions on Gabriel's tray. Uncorking it, she held it up to Vega's mouth. "Here, drink this. It should reduce the pain."

Vega swallowed it, wincing as he drank. "Urgh... can't you guys make these things taste good?"

"Consider it punishment for breaking the rules." Gabriel said. "Just gonna have to grin and bear it, I'm afraid."

"Gonna be in here until at least morning, then, huh? Tsk..." Vega mumbled, frowning slightly. "...Hey, where are Vivi and Hyde?"

"Probably in bed, as well." Gabriel said. "Neither of them had any injuries, so they were free to go. Told them it'd be pointless for them to stay here for the night. Viola looked like she was about to pass out, too."

"Hey, 'least we won. No more boggarts, no more injuries." Vega said, grinning cheekily up at Madam Pomfrey. "Back to 'normal' injuries from students for the rest of the year!"

"Are you trying to get me to give you the worst-tasting potions first, Mister Potter?" Asked Madam Pomfrey, one eyebrow raised.

"No! Wait... yes, bad potions first! That way the good ones can cover the taste!" Vega said. "Ugh, don't make me think. Already got a headache..."

"As well you should. I'm just glad you've managed to escape the seemingly inescapable relatively unharmed. You'd make your father proud, though I'm not sure that's something to actually be proud _about_."

"Yeah, well, tell that to Dumbledore." Vega said, closing his eyes and yawning. "Sittin' there, grinnin' at us like he knew what we were gonna do..."

"Oh, yes, that man is still quite intolerable, as well. In fact, I would go so far as to say his time away from this place has made him even more maddening." Madam Pomfrey declared, rolling her eyes and reaching for another potion. "No reason at all that you three had to go it alone..."

Vega felt another bottle touch his lips, and he parted them accordingly, thankful that this potion didn't taste like rotted goat innards. "S'probably our fault. Professor Tadygbbo died 'cause we came here. Was our problem to deal with."

"Nonsense." Madam Pomfrey stated. Grabbing the third potion bottle, she held it to Vega's mouth until he drank the contents of it, as well. "It's bad luck and coincidence and nothing more."

"If you say so. Wish I could be that confident..." Vega said.

"I'd say stopping a small army of boggarts by yourself says a lot about your confidence." Gabriel chimed in. When she received a rather severe look from Madam Pomfrey, however, she quickly added, "And your foolishness!"

Smiling weakly, Vega murmured, "So long as no one got seriously hurt, no reason to worry about what could've happened, I guess. Did Professor McGonagall say anything about the path we went down?"

"Only that she sealed it up after she and the staff had searched the length of it thoroughly." Said Madam Pomfrey, tapping Vega's chest gently with her wand. "...Right, those should do, Mister Potter. Do try to get some rest. Gabriel, we should also be getting some sleep. We've been up quite long enough."

"I'm all for going back to bed." Gabriel said, setting her now-empty tray down on the next bed over. "Sleep well, Vega. We'll check back in with you in the morning, alright? Standard routine."

"'Kay." Vega said, feeling his grip on the waking world falter. "G'night..."

"Good night, Mister Potter." Madam Pomfrey said, offering him a small smile. "With any luck, this will be the _last _time we have to say that to you this year."

oOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: This was written almost entirely the same night I finished the last third of the previous chapter. And now, I'll be going off to work on at least a bit of the final chapter! Yup, we only have one left! After all this time, I'm finally going to finish the first stinkin' book of R-2. I plan to at least try getting out one more chapter apiece of all the non-Potter side stories I've got going right now, as well, between chapter 18 and the start of book 2. No promises, though. I am terribly lazy, after all.

If the date Windows is giving me is correct, I wrote chapter one in may of 2009. Two years is a bit much for one book, if you ask me. I'll be trying to crank out the whole of book 2 between March and the end of the year, though.


	18. The End of the Beginning

Vega sighed as he slowly walked out of the Hospital Wing, waving over his shoulder to the two mediwitches standing across the room. It had been a really long night... or at least, it had felt like one. He had slept, but it had been a short, deep sleep. He felt refreshed, but he didn't feel well, which Madam Pomfrey claimed would last until his magic supply replenished itself. It was still early in the day, but he felt it would take awhile to get down to the Great Hall. He was in no hurry. He had stopped the boggarts, the school was safe, so he was jolly well going to take his time for once.

The twins, he assumed, were likely still asleep. While he had been the one to actually take down the swarm of boggarts, he imagined their nerves were pretty shot by the end of it, too. Reaching the stairs, he grimaced. This would be fun. Grabbing the handrail for dear life and praying that they didn't start turning and moving all over the place, Vega slowly descended to the ground floor, where he let out a long sigh of relief.

There was a pain in the back of his head that hadn't gone away. The feeling in his stomach had left almost entirely, but this headache had unfortunately persisted through the potions. He stopped to collect himself, as he felt a bit winded after going down so many stairs. As he was leaning over forward, hands on his knees, he heard someone call out to him. When he looked up, it was to find Lapis Eskander standing at the entrance to one of the nearby hallways.

"Eskander. Mornin'." Vega said, standing back up and offering a weak grin to the Ravenclaw.

Walking over, Lapis gave Vega a once-over. "How'd your little adventure go?"

"How's it look like I went? I probably look about as good as I feel. But we won. Huge nest of the stupid things down there. I didn't even know boggarts laid eggs..." Vega explained, shaking his head. "Drained a ton of magic dealing with them. Hyde and Vivi are probably gonna sleep through breakfast. As usual, I was the only one who ended up needing a stay with Madam Pomfrey."

"A nest?" Repeated Lapis, brow creased. "Where was it?"

"Way under the school. Like... _way_, way under. I don't even know where the heck we ended up, but we had to've walked for like two hours at least. We were all sore and miserable, and I was unconscious at the end, of course..."

"Of course." Lapis said, rolling his eyes. Motioning for Vega to follow, he headed for the Great Hall. "All I knew about it was that Professor Flitwick entered the common room for awhile and told the students who were still up to keep anyone from leaving... he just stopped back in, actually, but I was the only one awake. Said it was safe to leave now - that the boggart problem had been taken care of."

Vega followed behind Lapis, chuckling slightly. "Yeah, that's one way to put it. It's weird being this hungry, yet not wanting to eat at all. You look terrible, by the way."

"Thanks." Lapis said, shooting Vega an annoyed look over his shoulder. "The team's still mad at me for stepping down, my parents are still missing, and you went off on a suicide mission last night. Do you have any idea how hard it was not to tell someone? From the looks of it, I should've done it. You look pretty rough today, too."

"Still no word, huh? It hasn't been a very good year for either of us, has it?"

"Not in the least."

Vega walked over to his usual spot at the end of Slytherin's table, sitting down at it and groaning. He leaned forward against it, letting his head loll forward. Lapis sat opposite him, as no one else was in the room yet. Finally, Vega asked, "So what're you gonna do once the summer holiday rolls around?"

"Dunno. My uncle Adel's written me, saying he would be fine looking after me, if it came to it. He's a good guy, but..." Lapis trailed off.

"But he's not your mum and dad. Yeah..." Vega finished. "Hopefully they'll turn up alright. Next year, I want both of us to do a bit better than we did this year. Definitely not going to be flying any time soon now. But next year, I want to be back up in the air with you."

Scoffing slightly, Lapis replied, "I'd love for my next year here to go better than this one. I guess, if there's an upside, I haven't had to spend a portion of my time in a hospital bed this year."

"Yeah, think I've broken some kinda record for this." Vega groused. He looked over when he heard the large double doors being opened, the majority of the staff entering and chatting amongst themselves.

McGonagall was at the front, and she broke away from the group to walk over to see Vega. "How are you feeling today?"

"Terrible." Vega admitted. "They told me you guys sealed that long hall off?"

"Indeed we did. We undid the magic to remove the illusion of a wall and replaced it with a real one. We also checked for more hidden passages within those corridors, and came up with nothing. We did come to the conclusion that the room you found the boggarts' nest in was deep below the remains of the Forbidden Forest, however." McGonagall explained. "There was a room that had a hole leading all the way to the surface."

"We saw that one. Full of mosquitoes..." Vega said, pulling a face as he remembered.

"Quite. We also saw to it that that entrance was sealed off, as well. Nothing will be breaching the lowest dungeons of the school again." McGonagall stated. Turning her head, she offered a smile to Lapis, reaching into her robes and pulling out a letter. "I'm glad you're here, actually. I wanted to deliver this in person. I was planning to pull you out to the Entrance Hall if you showed up while breakfast was happening..."

Lapis frowned, taking the letter from McGonagall. It was in an unmarked envelope. He opened it up and pulled out the letter inside, eyes quickly scanning what it said. Whatever it was seemed to have quite the impact, as his eyes got wide and tears began to well up. Rereading the letter, he then turned to look up at McGonagall, asking, "Where?"

"They were in Albania, if you'll believe that. The Ministry's had people searching for them since they disappeared. They were a bit shaken, but seemed alright otherwise. Apparently, whatever they were doing for the Ministry got away from them and caused a bit of trouble, but they wouldn't say much more than that to me."

"They? You mean they found Eskander's parents?" Vega asked, looking from the Ravenclaw to the headmistress.

"Indeed they have, Potter. It seems today was set to be a day of celebration for one reason or another." McGonagall said, a faint smile on her lips. "Though try not to get excited. There's still the matter of detention to discuss..."

Vega groaned, letting his head fall forward, thumping against the table. "Oh come on! I saved the school and messed myself up in the process! Isn't that bad enough?"

"I'm afraid not, Potter. You've also lost quite a few points for your House... but, as you've said, you did indeed take care of the boggart problem for us. So the loss is negated by the gain. It isn't quite enough to put Slytherin in the lead, but it's very close." Said McGonagall. "But your detention will be discussed later, once you're feeling a bit better. For now, try to enjoy the day. Both of you."

With this, the headmistress excused herself and went to join the rest of the staff at the front of the room. Vega watched her leave, then looked back at Lapis, who was furiously wiping at his eyes as he read the letter once more. "Kinda wish there was some kind of lottery to put a bet in. We're doing pretty well for ourselves today, huh?"

Lapis laughed, though there was a hitched breath in there somewhere. "Seems like." He said, folding the letter and tucking it away. As he resumed wiping the tears from his eyes, he stood from his spot across from Vega. "I'm going to go write to them. And tell Samantha and Valerie that they're alive."

"Are they talking to you now?" Asked Vega.

"They'd better be after this..." Lapis said, smirking slightly. "I'll be back before breakfast's up!"

Vega waved as Lapis turned and rushed from the room, smiling as the doors closed behind him. Crossing his arms on the table, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. '_Hey, Cygnus_?'

'_Hm_?'

'_Totally going down to the Pit after breakfast and having the house elves make us a cake_.'

Snorting, Cygnus replied, '_Sounds good to me. I dunno about Hyde, but I'm sure Vivi'd be on board with that plan_.'

'_Hope people start getting here soon. Don't really like the thought that the staff informed people in the common rooms to stay put, but I guess it makes sense. McGonagall's probably gonna make an announcement once everyone's here. Things'll spread from there, rumor mill being what it is_.' Vega thought.

'_Maybe we'll get a little respect out of it, too_.'

'_I don't want any attention_.'

'_Yes you do, you just don't want to admit it_.' Cygnus said. '_Besides, it's good attention, not bad attention. We took out a whole nest of boggarts on our own! Gotta get some kinda praise for that, __right_?'

'_If you say so. Gonna rest my eyes until I hear noise, if that's alright. Still feeling pretty off_.'

'_I'd say we earned some downtime. Good of McGonagall to let us get back to full strength before sending us off to polish trophies or whatever, though. Think she's going a bit easy on us_.'

'_So do I. Not complaining, though_!'

Soon enough, students began to filter into the Great Hall. Vega kept his head down, listening. He would know when the twins arrived, as he was sure Viola would yell his name and attempt to pounce him out of his seat or something. Considering how poor he felt, he was having a pretty good day. They'd managed to put down a platoon of boggarts, Eskander's parents had been found, and the remainder of the school year would be far better off. At least, he hoped it would.

He was still aching all over, though. Draining his magic reserves had left him feeling cold and sore. It didn't help that he was still sore from walking so much. He wasn't sure if the distance they had traveled could be measured in miles, but he was sure they'd gone a few, at least. Despite really not wanting to think about his crazy trip under the castle, it was the only thing he could focus on for some reason. He let out a quiet yawn, wincing a little. He was going to eat breakfast, then he was going down to the Pit for a nap. Classes be damned, he'd earned half a day off, at least.

He felt something brush against his cheek and he opened his eyes, finding Viola moving away from him, a tired smile on her face. Sitting down next to him, with Hydrus sitting across from them both, she looked over and asked, "Sleepy?"

"And sore." Vega said. "What about you two?"

"About the same." Hydrus replied. "I'm surprised they let you out so soon. How long have you been down here?"

"Awhile." Vega answered, sitting up straight so he could stretch. Biting back a string of swears as his back popped, he continued, "Met Eskander on my way down. They've found his parents, I guess. McGonagall gave him a letter and was apparently talking to someone at the Ministry about it. So he went off to see the girls about it."

"Us being exhausted aside, seems like it's a pretty good start to the day, huh?" Viola said.

"Seems that way. McGonagall didn't mention announcing anything, but you know she will. She said she'd wait 'til I was feeling better before I got a detention for this, too." Vega said.

"She's giving you a detention for saving the school? Well that's a bit mean, isn't it?" Viola said, making a face.

"I dunno. All things considered, we did put ourselves at risk." Vega said, shrugging.

"Glad you've finally come around to realizing how dumb it was." Hydrus said. "But yes, it was kind of her to wait. Did she mention anything about us?"

"Nope. Seems I'm getting the lion's share. That's fine. I'm the one who talked you guys into coming, anyway." Vega said. "You two get any sleep?"

"Not a whole lot. We talked down in the common room for awhile, then went off to rest our eyes for awhile." Hydrus explained.

"I'm gonna be napping in the Pit after we eat. Also, was thinking of seeing if the house elves could whip us up a victory cake. You guys in?" Vega asked.

"Well that's a stupid question, isn't it?" Viola said, smirking. "I think we deserve a little victory party, personally."

"Yeah, one just involving ourselves. I don't want McGonagall to put us on a pedestal for this." Vega said, glancing at the staff table. "I hope she knows that. Maybe I should've said something..."

"Too late now. If you went up there to say something, everyone would know. As it is, the other Slytherins seem to have a pretty good grasp on what's going on." Hydrus stated. "A few asked us where we were last night. No harm in telling them, I figured, so we were honest. We did ask that they leave you be if you happened to be here, though."

"Appreciate it." Vega said.

"Lapis at ten o'clock." Viola said suddenly, nodding toward the doors.

Vega and Hydrus looked over to see Lapis, Samantha, and Valerie entering, arguing back and forth. But when they sat down at the Ravenclaw table, the girls made no move to sit further away from Lapis. The arguing, however, seemed to continue. At one point, Lapis looked up, caught their eyes, and shrugged.

"Well, seems like _something _happened." Vega said, raising an eyebrow.

"One thing at a time. Can't expect everything to fix itself right away, I guess." Hydrus said. "Looks like McGonagall's preparing to talk."

"She mentions us, I'm bolting for the Pit." Vega muttered, looking at the headmistress warily.

But McGonagall never mentioned any names. She did, however, give a very vague rundown of what had happened overnight. Instead of mentioning the Slytherins, she stated that the staff had come across a false wall that had eventually lead into a part of Hogwarts that had long since been abandoned. In that place, a large number of boggarts had been spawning. They had also found a hole leading to the surface, which came up in the still-regrowing Forbidden Forest. McGonagall stated that the boggarts and their eggs had been destroyed, and that the hole from the surface had been plugged up. In addition, they had sealed off and warded the passage behind the false wall so that nothing could get through it again. And, after taking a deep breath, she smiled faintly and stated that the rest of the students' time at school should be a bit more like it should have been all along.

Just like that, the problem with the boggarts came to a close. Students began to excitedly chatter back and forth, while several Slytherins looked down the table with confusion on their faces, clearly not understanding why Vega and the Malfoys weren't mentioned. When the food arrived, Vega ate very little. He was more tired than hungry, and he was craving cake anyway. Regular food would have to wait until at least lunch or, as was more likely, dinner.

Vega's time at Hogwarts passed by at a wonderfully slow pace after that. The last few months went by without incident, save for a few instances of spells being miscast. His magic took almost three weeks to fully return though, as he was all too willing to point out, it was rather hard to tell. Despite the boost in confidence at having beaten the boggart swarm, he knew that was more due to luck and circumstance than actual skill. Still, he wasn't too hard on himself, as even he recognized that he had gotten a fair bit better at magic than he had been when he first arrived.

The situation with Lapis and his friends rose and fell with the tides, it seemed. One day they'd be talking normally, the next they wouldn't be talking to one another again. As the school year came to a close, they were bickering quietly amongst themselves during mealtimes, with Lapis making several grand arm gestures as he argued against whatever they were throwing at him. And despite the gain in points Vega and the twins had gotten for Slytherin, it hadn't been enough to get them the House Cup. They had lost, by a whopping ten points, to Gryffindor. It had both sides of the room in an uproar when the totals had been announced.

The Quidditch Cup, meanwhile, had gone to Hufflepuff, something that seemed to even confuse a good deal of the Hufflepuff students. Their captain had boasted quite a bit, but Vega heard several people talking about both himself and Lapis. The urge to fly definitely got the better of Vega sometimes, as he'd go out to the Pitch when he had some free time and just flew around lazily. Sometimes, Lapis would show up, claiming that he needed to escape his so-called friends for awhile. Both had promised to try getting back on board for the following year and, when they saw each other last at Hogsmeade Station, Lapis had called out to him, telling him not to forget.

As Vega settled in the for the long train ride home, he let out a long sigh. "This year was weird..."

"It was." Viola agreed, sitting next to him. "I'd say that I was hoping next year won't be as bad, but I don't want to jinx anything..."

Closing the door behind him as he entered, Hydrus sat across from the two. "At least it's over with. People guessed, but we never said anything to anyone but the other Slytherins, and McGonagall never said anything, either. Would've been nice if we hadn't lost to Gryffindor, though."

"Ten points..." Groaned Vega, shaking his head. "I wanna know what happened at the end there. Either we lost some at the end or they gained some."

"Not as bad as Hufflepuff winning the Quidditch Cup, though. Did you hear Harper going on and on about how her 'superior tactics' had led them to victory? Tactics nothing, it was only because you and Lapis weren't in the air for the second half of the year." Viola griped, crossing her arms. "She got lucky and that's all there is to it!"

"Yeah, that isn't happening again. I'm getting back up there next year. With Julie leaving, Hyde's gonna move up and be the Keeper properly, yeah?" Vega asked.

"Probably." Hydrus said. "Though I'm sure we'll have plenty of tryouts. I'll just have to outdo them, I suppose."

"Another year with Danielson helming the ship, though." Viola said. "Yeah, that'll be fun. He's gonna ride us even harder next year since we didn't win this time around."

"Danielson can sit on his thumbs and spin. I'm not getting up at 6 in the morning to train." Vega declared, looking surly. "Throw his broom to the giant squid if he pulls that crap again..."

"I'll help!" Viola chirped. Then, rolling her eyes, she stepped back a few paces in their conversation and went on, "Seriously, what 'tactics' was Harper using? Gryffindor's Seeker is nearsighted! Of course they won! I'm amazed Terrana kept on their team to the end. Surely someone a little more suited to the role tried out, right?"

"Who knows. Maybe he'll get contacts over the summer or something. It'd be nice if I got some competition outside of Eskander." Vega said, leaning his head against the wall of the compartment and closing his eyes. The train was moving now, and the rumble was making him sleepy already. "You guys doin' anything over the summer?"

"Doubt it." Viola said. "Our dad's still out helpin' yours, yeah?"

"Last we heard, anyway." Hydrus confirmed. "Mother will probably try to take us somewhere, though I'm personally not getting my hopes up."

"Me either. Doesn't seem very safe at the moment." Viola said. "I've had enough 'excitement' for one year, thank you very much."

"Hear hear." Vega agreed. "Gonna spend my summer lounging around in bed as much as I can. And not to knock the house elves, but their pizza kinda sucks."

Snorting, Viola asked, "Gonna be a slob, huh?"

"I blew up a load of shapeshifting demons this year. I think I deserve a nice little peaceful vacation. A very bloated, regretting everything I eat kind of vacation." Vega said, nodding solemnly. "Gonna try knocking homework out the first week or so, too. That way I can enjoy the break right up 'til we go back."

"Wonder who they'll replace Tadygbbo with. McGonagall did say Dumbledore was only around for the rest of this year, after all." Hydrus said, looking thoughtful.

"Maybe they'll get one of our parents." Viola said. "They'd fit the bill pretty well, wouldn't they?"

"Don't think either of our mothers would like to teach multiple classes of kids, though." Vega said. "Mine would be late if she had classes in the morning. Takes forever to get going unless dad's around to make breakfast!"

"I guess that's true enough. Though I could see our mum yelling at a bunch of first years to sit down, shut up, and pay attention." Viola said, grinning. "She's _mean _when she's mad."

"Oh, well sure, if we're talking about them when they're mad. Mine can rampage rather well, too." Vega said. "Takes a lot to wind her up, though. Plus, she'd probably hex anyone who was acting up in class. I'd pay to see your dad teach, though. He _really _doesn't seem the type."

"Yeah, he's definitely not the teaching type." Viola said. "And your dad's probably sick of Hogwarts and teachers and stuff by now."

"Pretty much. He says he enjoyed his time there, but you can sorta hear in his voice that he's not being entirely truthful." Vega said. "...Ugh, it's comfortable in here and all, but why can't we like, get a plane or something to take us to London? It takes so long to get from Hogwarts to King's Cross!"

"Wizards are nothing if not set in their ways." Hydrus said.

"You know what I wanna see? Wizarding space station." Vega said, looking out the window and watching as they passed through a forest. "Hidden from plain view, but floatin' around the planet."

"How would you get to it?" Asked Viola. "Invisible space shuttle?"

"I dunno. It's the future, so why not use teleporters or something?"

"Why not just apparate?"

"Imagine Hagrid trying to apparate a mess of first years to a space station. That'd go south real fast, don't you think?" Asked Vega.

"Right... teleporters, then." Viola agreed. "And why Hagrid?"

"Well, it'd be a school or something, wouldn't it? I guess a prison works, but come on. Wizarding world's already had to deal with one floating prison."

"Hmm, I guess so..."

The topic seemed to dominate their conversation for the majority of the trip, with Viola and Vega alternating progressively stranger additions to their wizarding space station-school. From defense systems to how the students would play Quidditch, they went back and forth for hours. For his part, Hydrus merely sat back and enjoyed the show, chiming in with a snarky comment here or there just to deflate his friends a bit. By the time they finally got to King's Cross, Viola had decided to try drawing their mostly-finished idea over the summer.

As they left the train, they saw their parents waiting nearby. Viola took off running, latching onto their mother tightly, with Hydrus trailing behind and greeting their father. Vega was feeling too tired to bolster that kind of energy. When he got close enough, however, Tonks scooped him into a tight hug.

"Have a good trip?" Asked Harry.

"Something like that." Vega replied after being let go. "You guys been doin' alright?"

"As well as can be expected, given what you've put us through." Tonks said, giving her son the evil eye. "Honestly, I still can't believe you went off on your own after those boggarts. You take after Harry _way _too much."

"People keep saying that, yes." Vega said, grinning up at his dad, who returned the smile. "Feeling pretty sleepy, though. Was gonna take a nap on the train ride, but me and Vivi got to talking about Hogwarts in space and that kinda fell apart..."

"Hogwarts in space?" Tonks asked.

"I'll explain on the way home..." Vega said. "It was my own fault."

"Vega!"

Turning, Vega saw Viola bounding over to him, grinning. "Hey, we're about to head off. You guys doin' anything this weekend?"

"Not that I know of." Harry said. "I might be out with the Aurors, but Nym's gonna be home with Vega all day, yeah?"

"Probably." Tonks said. "Might need to go on a grocery run, but that's minor. You wantin' to come over?"

Nodding quickly, Viola grinned. "Just had another idea for the space station thing. Wanna deliver the drawing in person!"

"Yeah, he was telling us about this." Tonks said. "Said he's gonna explain on the ride home."

"Good luck with that." Viola said, laughing. "I barely remember everything we talked about."

"Seeya this weekend then, huh?" Vega said, smiling.

"Yup!" She stepped in, ruffled Vega's hair, then gave him a kiss on the cheek before turning and running back over to the rest of her family. As the Malfoys headed for the barrier separating their station from the Muggle one, she waved to him.

"I think she likes youuu." Tonks said in a singsong voice.

"Oh, she does not!" Blushed Vega. "She does that because she knows it bugs me."

"If you say so..." Said Tonks, her tone the same.

"Alright, stop teasing him." Harry said, poking his wife in the arm. "C'mon, let's get your stuff and head home. Thinking lasagna for dinner. That sound alright to you two?"

"He's been talking about it all day." Tonks said in a stage whisper to Vega. "Tell him it's fine, because I'm gonna strangle him if he _doesn't_ make it."

"Lasagna's fine, dad." Vega said, rolling his eyes. "Pizza tomorrow, though."

"Told you the house elves don't get it right." Harry said, heading over to where Vega's trunk was sitting.

"Not enough grease." Vega lamented, following his father.

Letting out a long-suffering sigh, Tonks took off after her boys. "One, you're both gross. Two, stop talking about food. And three, hurry it up!"

"By your will, milady!" Harry said, saluting Tonks and earning him a light swat on the arm. Laughing, he shrunk Vega's trunk down and pocketed it. "Come on, then. Off we go. Now what were you saying about Hogwarts in space?"

"Well," Vega began, "I got to thinking about Quidditch, which made me think of flying, which made me wonder how high someone's ever flown on a broom, which made me think of space..."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

**Author's Notes**: Holy crap, book 1's done! Last three chapters all coming out pretty quick from one another since I actually sat down and made my lazy ass write them all in the span of three days or so! Like I think I mentioned in a previous chapter, I apparently started this in 2009. That's way too long and I apologize for it taking this long to get the book done. I'm making a promise now that book 2 won't take that long to complete.

Speaking of book 2, it's going to be called Poison From the Stars, and chapter 1's tentatively scheduled to go up sometime in late March. Which, by the time you all are reading this chapter, it's probably mid-March at least. I'm writing this on February 25 of 2011 (just to timestamp myself here), and I plan to put one chapter a week out, with a short break between this chapter and the start of R-2 book 2. I'll keep my profile updated and will post to Twitter when I upload chapter 1. It's already half done!

Who's scheduled to be the Defense professor? I'd give you a hint, but I can't think of any that wouldn't immediately spoil it!

As for the major arcana characters in book 1... Vega is the Magician and Lapis is the Hermit. The full deck as it were will be filled out by the time R-2's done. Not a lot of importance to this, but it will come up in chapter titles occasionally. See chapter 8 for proof! And while chapter 9 is named Justice, it isn't for a character. He'll show up at the start of book 2, and it's kind of obvious who it is, though. Hell, if you wanna take guesses as to who might 'fit' each arcana, go for it. It's just a thing I tied to certain characters.

Anyway! Thank you for reading the first book of R-2. I know a lot of people don't like original character stories. I'm one of them! When I started R-1, it was because I couldn't find a lot of Honks fics that I liked. And while I'm definitely not calling that rollercoaster ride good by any means, I could probably sit down and read through it if I tried. I typically dislike rereading my own stuff, however, which is partly why I'm so lazy about uploading and editing new chapters. So the idea for R-2 was simple: Write a 'next generation' story that I'd actually sit down and read if I wanted to. The other point was that I wasn't going to leash anything in. If it went crazy, it went crazy.

And trust me, it's going to go crazy. Chekhov's Gun is in play, kids. Try to figure out where.

I'll see you in book 2!


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